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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25385095">Tempestuous Crescendo</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/freiline/pseuds/freiline'>freiline</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dreams of Stars and Roses [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu | Legend of the Galactic Heroes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:41:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>32,128</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25385095</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/freiline/pseuds/freiline</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The beginning of forever was the deafening crescendo that shattered them both.<br/><br/>This first installment tells the tale of the burgeoning romance between Kaiser Alexander Siegfried von Lohengramm and his childhood best friend Felix von Reuenthal (né Mittermeyer), up until the tumultuous rout that pulled them apart.<br/></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alexander Siegfried von Lohengramm/Felix Mittermeyer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dreams of Stars and Roses [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838443</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Dreaming of Distant Stars I</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue: The Two Stars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alec and Felix describe one another from each other's (entirely biased yet still rather impartial) perspectives.<br/></p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Also known as self-gratuitous prose romanticising the beauty of Alec and Felix as individuals.<br/><br/>Inspiration for how I imagined them to look were based on fanarts that can be found <a href="https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/81578617">here</a> and <a href="https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/82492007">here</a>!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Felix von Reuenthal (né Mittermeyer) was like the sun. Not so much in appearance — he hadn't inherited his biological mother's blonde hair in the similar way I did my parents' — but more so in the general make of his essence.</p><p>His name alone was premonition of the blessing to come: happiness. Felix was kaleidoscopic, blessed with an abundance of radiance and abounded with all the colours and hues known to man. To be in his presence was to be in the presence of the sun, his warmth permeating your colours and seeping into your very soul. His voice was a musical lilt, invoking upon listeners a sensation comparable to the refreshing chill of an early morning, or the comforting embrace of a mother holding her babe. I knew for certain that even the greatest of poets would fail to arrange the right words together that could do justice in describing a man so close to the embodiment of benevolence and benignity.</p><p>Everyone loved him. Even those who found fault with his gregarious nature at first impression, or deemed him to be haughty by some incredulous assumption, soon changed their tune. He attracted men and women alike, friend and foe alike, resembling colourless months to a vibrant flame. It was a great annoyance, most of the time. To watch as others gravitated towards him, to close a blind eye at their attempts to steal from under my nose my position and place by his side. Simply because he willed for me to expand my circle of friends, and who was I to say no to him?</p><p>But what need did I have for ersatz companions, who all paled in comparison to the shimmering existence that was Felix von Reuenthal?</p><p>Felix was the muse of painters, the exquisite dream of a portrait waiting to be coloured in hues of blue and pink. Everything about him was picturesque. Brown hair like woven silk and waves that flowed down to his shoulders, elegantly framing delicate and handsome features. Eyes to enchant, the cerulean blue of the uppermost atmosphere, the promise of a bright day and an even brighter future. Skin like alabaster, once porcelain turned a lively warm tone from the wrath of the sun glaring down on young boys training to be men of stone and brawn. The build of an athlete, with lean muscles and long, slender limbs. He was of the same stature as me but there was an elegance to him, a refined grace, that I could never master, try as I might.</p><p>I loved him. I love him. I will always love him.</p><p>I hadn't the means to express my fondness for him, of how my heart would ache and bleed at the absence of his, of how my soul would yearn for its other half. I was never a romantic (and neither was he, truth be told), but Felix had always had an interest in literature and its depictions of love more than I ever did; surely he would have less difficulty with these things, whatever this was. I consider myself to be a man who only spoke the truth, and there was no need for grand gestures or pointless demonstrations when stating facts. But regardless of how mundane the topic was or how apathetic my words were, he would always find a way to spin them into melodic visions, leaving me in spellbound awe.</p><p>It was enchanting to hear him weave words as though they were alive and within the palm of his hands. It was captivating to watch him perform magic on the violin and the cello, fiery passion and palpable prowess glimmering with every stroke of the bow and every glide of his fingers. It was the greatest honour to be allowed privy to the hum of his thoughts, or the murmurs of his daydreams.</p><p>I was prosaic, while he was poetic. Everything he touched was art, even he himself was a magnificent painting come to life. He was mesmerising, and I loved him. I love him. I will always love him. My heart knows nothing else but loving him.</p><p>We could die and be reborn and yet my soul would find its way to him, somehow, to where home was. Felix was the very air I breathed, his absence suffocating and his presence invigorating.</p><p>I loved him. I love him. I will always love him.</p><p>I need no one else but him.</p>
<hr/><p>Kaiser Alexander Siegfried von Lohengramm was like the moon, for better or for worse. Similar to the moon, he was subjected to the inevitable comparison between him and his counterpart; though gleaming and glistening as he was, he was gauged as no more than a reflection of his deity-akin father, who was both lion and war personified and left such a mark on the galaxy that his tale was equivalent to the legends of old. The only proof of his existence after his passing, the only tangible evidence that he had indeed existed at all and that he once walked among us mere mortals in all his god-like glory, was through the son he left behind, who was equally unmatched to humans in his regality and divinity.</p><p>Alec's cropped hair was an elegant arrangement of fine gold threads that gleamed like the sun, loose and slightly curling waves of milk and honey that were parted to the side to rightfully adorn sharp, breath-taking features. A sharp jawline traced the outline of his face and his eyes were of the same ice blue as his father's; dangerously cold and bewitching, equal to two gems of celestite perched above an aristocratic nose bridge.</p><p>There was no doubt that the gods themselves carved him out of marble and stone of the finest quality, well-proportioned limbs and smooth curves that gave an indication to slender muscles underneath perfectly-tailored clothing. I suppose we both have similar builds, but Alec seemed to fill in suits and uniforms better than I could ever dream to and truthfully, it was almost sacrilegious to compare oneself to the divine. I always said that I looked sinewy and almost gangly whenever I stood by his side, but Alec was always quick to rebuke me for implying and cursing myself with a supposed visual impairment. I would in turn retort back that he was merely showing kindness for an old friend, however a detailed analysis of sorts would soon follow to back his claims of objection. He seemed so factually sound that I found no room for rebuttal and was inclined to agree with his logic. Rendered speechless, I would then simply leave it at that.</p><p>But the physical form that the gods had hand-crafted to be his soul's vessel was not all that made him celestial. Alec was born to stand above us all, in the similar fashion his deity of a father changed the course of an entire galaxy. He possessed a charisma that I read of and was told differed from that of his father's. The late Kaiser Reinhard's presence commanded authority, his words a reverent psalm, and those in attendance would cry out in united antiphon. Once he was in vicinity, your eyes would naturally draw towards him and only the equally divine could tear your vision off of him. Such was the power Kaiser Reinhard held over people, so exceptional and so rare a flair that his own flesh and blood could not inherit it for themself. Instead, it would morph to take on another form.</p><p>Alec was different in the sense that he didn't incite attraction, nor did he possess innate magnetism. No, instead he was an iceberg, unyielding and unwavering. Always ruminating with such great discernment it was as though he was omnipotent, always two steps ahead with backup plans aplenty, even if they were unnecessary. An intellect of logic and perspicacity beyond the grasp of mortals that only a select few could keep up with him. I liked to consider myself one of the lucky, but his expertise were not the same as mine and I found myself struggling at times as well. He left people frozen in their place, eyes wide open and left to gawk at his ingenuity when Alec himself had already moved on, unaware of the impact he had just dealt. Devotedly focused on challenging conventions, only looking forward into the future.</p><p>Even when barraged, Alec kept a cool head and remained true to himself; no derision could sway him, no force strong enough to diverge him from his course. Impenetrable, a stronghold of knowledge and genius. He had no need for intricate veneers or calculated facades like I did, or more accurately it was possible he despised the very action of putting on an act, as someone whose core bore no falsehoods or contrived notions.</p><p>Alec made me seem crass and incompetent in comparison, though that was not to say those were words I would deign for myself, nor were they words I've heard people use to describe me. It was simply a testament to Alec's excellence and regality, of his pedigree and high class.</p><p>I cannot have him, for he is not mine to have — who could genuinely say they were worthy of one so high above?</p><p>I cannot love him, but I do. How could I not?</p><p>How could someone not fall in love with a man so adored by the gods?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A reflection of their childhood, part I.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Feel free to check in at a later date to see if I title this chapter because right now, I am hungry and need food for brain nutrition.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was well known within the empire that Kaiser Alec and his close friend Felix von Reuenthal (né Mittermeyer) had been practically inseparable since the late Kaiser Reinhard's passing. "I hope you will always remain a good friend to the prince," the founder of the Lohengramm Dynasty had wished upon him, and his own parents would ceaselessly remind him of the promise he made years ago. "How do I know you're not lying to me when that was before I could even speak?" Felix would quip to his parents once he reached the age of self-cognisance. When meek obedience was challenged by the adolescent itch to test the boundaries and see how far a cute smile or a pouted apology could get him for the consequences of his mischief. There was no trace of malice within his words however, and even if there was, it would be seen as no more than a failed attempt at a lie; it was plain as day that the young kaiser's attachment to his brown-haired friend was undeniably mutual.</p><p>At age 12, Felix had the faintest idea when he last spent an entire week without having seen Alec. The longest they had ever gone without the other was an astonishingly short four days, and yet what an arduous and trying for days it was. When the Mittermeyers broke the news of a four day vacation over the long weekend break to their child and ward, Felix's cerulean eyes gleamed in evident delight and its radiance brought smiles to the household. Those smiles were quick to straighten into a thin line, however. Lips pursed as the three looked to one another and tried at various words in their minds that could be formed as an answer to the youngest member's request. He had asked if they could bring Alec along with them, eyes still shining like the morning sky on a sunny day, and what came over them was the fear of reality's harsh truth dashing away the radiance in his gaze.</p><p>Children were the purest of gems, still untouched by the harshness of reality and unaware of the structures of society. At that tender age, Alec was simply his friend; what did a child know of crowns and royal robes, of renowned titles and dignified pedigrees? How could they explain to Felix the complexities that would tag along the trip once a reigning monarch would be in attendance? That every step the kaiser took outside of the Löwenbrunnen was a growing target on his back?</p><p>Evangeline convinced her husband there was no harm in at the very least presenting an invitation, along with a detailed proposal that would ensure the protection of the kaiserin and the young kaiser (because it would obviously be rude to invite only the son, especially since Evangeline had in the past few years gotten acquainted with the kaiserin as well). And so that was what the honey-haired marshal did, after requesting for an audience with Hilda in her office. As he had anticipated, the invitation was met with a polite decline from the kaiserin whose expression remained the picturesque portrait of a benevolent monarch, but the declination was for a reason he hadn't the foresight to predict.</p><p>"I truly appreciate that you thought so kindly of the kaiser and I, Marshal Mittermeyer. But surely we would only be an inconvenience to your family with the royal guard hindering our movement," Hilda reasoned with a growing smile, unable to suppress her amusement at the surprise that now coloured the marshal's features.</p><p>Mittermeyer let out a sheepish chuckle and scratched the back of his head, his gaze lowering slightly in embarrassment. "To be perfectly honest, that was not something that crossed our minds. But it wouldn't be any trouble at all, your majesty. If I may be so bold, I'm certain my son would be thrilled to have the kaiser, whom he's grown to be greatly fond of, along with us. I apologise for the selfish request."</p><p>"It's not a selfish request by any means, Marshal Mittermeyer." Hilda shook her head. "I am certain the kaiser shares the same sentiment, and he too would have loved to accompany his best friend. Between you and me, there's no doubt that young Felix's absence will be sorely felt by Kaiser Alec," she stated with an air of whimsy. "But it is <em>my</em> selfish request that you enjoy to the fullest the well-deserved trip with your family. Your wife is someone I consider to be a close friend, and it does me well for her to be happy."</p><p>Although the matter had been settled, it was needless to say that not all of the parties involved were satisfied with the outcome. Felix had always been the more obedient of the two, easier to dissuade and even easier to seek cooperation from (for the most part). Though his mood had been dampened, he retained most of his cheer throughout the four days, and the trip had been a rather pleasant one.</p><p>On the other hand, Alec's brooding and general dissatisfaction at the attempts at replacing his regular playmate with other children loomed heavy over the palace. It could be said that the staff at the Löwenbrunnen fared the worst out of the whole ordeal, having to have borne the brunt of the child kaiser's sulking and reluctance towards obedience. The absence of the more agreeable of the two boys, the one that would urge the other to abide by the nursemaid's pleas, posed as a great disservice to the day to day tasks at the palace involving the child monarch. Even Hilda's reprimands only earned the palace a mere five hours of escape from the terror; after the fear of Hilda's anger had dissipated from his consciousness, Alec was back to oscillating between bouts of fiery tantrums and icy gloom.</p><p>Felix's arrival at the palace after those tiring four days brought about merriment like no other, for both Alec and the palace staff alike. Evangeline and Felix had brought along with them souvenirs for the kaiserin regent and the kaiser, unaware of Alec's sincere belief that the greatest souvenir of all was the return of his well-adored best friend. Despite having reached the Löwenbrunnen as early as ten in the morning, it was only once the sun had started to set that Alec reluctantly released Felix's hand. Not out of realising how late it was getting, but out of understanding that Felix had to help Evangeline with dinner preparations before her husband and Heinrich Lambertz (the Mittermeyers' ward who they regarded as their own son and Felix his own brother) returned home.</p><p>At dinner, Alec happily proclaimed to Hilda (and momentarily forgot his table manners as a result) that Felix said he had missed Alec as well, and stated that the trip would have been all the more fun if Alec was present with them. Relieved to see that life had returned to her son, Hilda assured him that they would plan a trip together with the Mittermeyers in the near future. Upon seeing the colours of delight that gleamed in Alec's eyes after she made her promise, Hilda couldn't help but remember the moments in Alec's earlier years when he would innocently declare that he would marry Felix in the future 'so they could be together forever'.</p><p>That year also marked Felix's first year in elementary school. Having spent what was equivalent to their kindergarten years together at the palace (the details as to why will be explained shortly), this was the first time they would be apart for most of the week, as Alec was a year younger than Felix and was not yet of age for elementary school. Alec was at first rather receptive to the news, but it was merely because he was not yet fully aware of what it would entail. After the first week and realising thus would be the norm for the rest of the year, it was then Alec demanded he be allowed to go to school as well right that instant.</p><p>Under the Goldenbaum dynasty, the kaiser's orders were absolute; if he decreed that his child was eligible to attend school, then so it shall be. Perhaps most would find it a trivial matter, surely there was no harm in early admission to a school so long as all other requirements and expectations were fulfilled? Hilda had nothing against it either, as an erudite woman who, early into her regency, implemented reforms that placed heavy focus on education and trade.</p><p>But Hilda had already given Alec the biggest leeway when she allowed for Felix to undergo the same tutelage and education as he did by his side; it didn't sit well for her to raise an entitled son, who may down the line embody principles his father would not have approved of. And so she proposed a deal to him: if he could score perfectly on the examinations he would have to take in his first year to proceed to the next, all the while juggling the more princely subjects in the curriculum planned out for him that year, she would talk to the elementary school principal and request for him to skip the first year and join Felix in the second.</p><p>Without hesitation, and without a word of complaint, Alec agreed to her conditions.</p>
<hr/><p>Alec had gotten his way through hard work and determination. After receiving praise from his tutors and scoring full marks for all the first grade papers, he was admitted to the school and placed in the same class as Felix the following year. At such a level of education, the students were simply placed into classes based on their examination results and for the most part, Alec and Felix were fairly neck and neck in that regard. For better or for worse, they spent three years in the same class together.</p><p>However in their fifth grade, Felix had under performed in the previous year's final examinations and was placed in the class right after Alec's. When Alec asked Felix what had happened, the brown-haired youth merely shrugged and posed the possibility that he might not be as smart as they both thought him to be. An odd statement for Felix to make, Alec thought, but he didn't think much of it. That is, until later on when he came to notice something. Upon realising that it might not be a coincidence that he had made more friends, just as Felix had repeatedly asked of him, in that year alone than the previous three years of elementary school combined, Alec brought up the topic again and Felix gave the same response.</p><p>It was then that Alec's suspicions were confirmed. From all the years they've spent together, Alec noticed that Felix, just like him, had never been one to simply accept failure. Whenever they would get an answer wrong or failed at an execution, they would break down what they had done and make use of that information to think of a different course of action, one that would bring about better results. So for Felix to once again insist on such a plain excuse, that he was 'simply not as smart as they thought', it was a suspicious red flag, and one all too peculiar for Felix to let slip. Perhaps it was nothing more than a miscalculation on Felix's part, Alec reasoned. But he knew his best friend well and his best friend was never careless.</p><p>With all the facts aligned, he was lead to the conclusion that Felix had <em>intended</em> for Alec to figure it all out. '<em>You wouldn't listen to me so I purposely did worse than I normally do... So that we'd be in different classes and you'd be forced to make friends.</em>' Alec heard the words echo in his mind, in the exact same timber of Felix's voice, and a chill ran up his spine. That was the first time Alec had ever felt genuinely scared of Felix, even if just for a few moments, and it was so scary a notion that Alec chose to lock it up in the far recesses of his mind. Never again to be revisited until once later on in their early 20s, in the heat of an emotional dispute.</p><p>This was one of the instances in which Alec went against himself and believed that ignorance was bliss. Another instance took place in the same year, when rumours started to spread that a girl in his class (who he had never talked to nor cared to strike a conversation with) had a crush on Felix.</p><p>Alec knew that Felix was by no means unpopular; he was adored by students and teachers alike for his kindness and his amiable nature, regardless of gender. This was not the first time someone expressed feelings towards the brown-haired boy that went past that of friendship. In fact, it was more common to find a girl who harboured such sentiments for Felix than ones who did not. Felix would then remind Alec that those girls shared the same feelings for Alec, so it was not worth taking seriously if they could find it within themselves to settle for either one of them. But Alec never cared about the attention he received, unlike Felix who seemed to thrive in social situations. Even if later on in private, the older of the two would admit that he found none of the topics they had brought up interesting.</p><p>What made this time around different was that this was the first time it occurred when Felix and him were in different classes. When they were in the same class, it was easy to spot who Felix was acquainted with or had talked to. Not that Alec consciously went out of his way to intently observe Felix, of course; his eyes would just naturally find their way to his best friend's seat and with a memory as good as his, it wasn't difficult to retain information on even the most microscopic of details.</p><p>But now that they were in different classes, the only common time they had together was during recess — if Felix had bumped into that girl somehow at some point in the day, Alec would have no way of knowing unless the boy in question had mentioned it himself. It was of no help either that Alec could have cared less about that girl and certainly did <em>not</em> keep a log of her movements and actions.</p><p>And so, Alec's only possible course of action was to inquire Felix.</p><p>The young kaiser decided to invite his best friend to the palace after school one day. This was by no means a rare occurrence; if Felix did not have any plans with his other friends after school, he would spend some time at the Löwenbrunnen with Alec until his father Prime Imperial Marshal Mittermeyer would come pick him up.</p><p>During those times, they would never lounge about in Alec's bedroom. 'The time of childhood has ended, Alec-sama,' Felix reasoned. 'A man's room is a private space meant only for himself and his beloved.'</p><p>Felix had announced it in a tone so whimsical that Alec at first thought he was joking. But after noticing that the older of the two always managed to subtly direct them to his study room instead, he wordlessly relinquished victory to Felix and the study room became their hang out space. Not that Alec had much to complain about the room; it may have been half the size of his bedroom, but it was similar in size to a classroom in their school so it still provided a rather spacious area. It was also the room in which he had received plenty an earful, from both tutors and his wannabe-adult best friend, but Alec didn't mind it so much if it was where Felix preferred to be in.</p><p>Pressed to the room's walls were bookshelves as tall as the ceiling, entirely stocked with a wide range of books from works of literature to scientific journals. Felix showed greater interest in the former, while Alec the latter. Two cups of tea would always be brought to them and as for snacks, a slice of Frankfurter Kranz for Alec — which he heard was also a favourite of his father's — and a handful of biscuits for Felix — who had always been less fond of sweet treats, compared to his blond friend.</p><p>They shared their usual exchanges and rounds of discussion, all the while enjoying their tea and light refreshment. Soon enough, as Felix was penchant to doing after his cup and plate were emptied, the brown-haired boy rose to his feet and brought himself over to the bookshelves, scanning the lettering on the spines for something that would catch his attention. Alec waited patiently for Felix to return with a book in hand and get comfortable, signalled to him soon after Felix stretched his legs out on the sofa and was about four pages into the book.</p><p>"Hey. Felix," Alec called out, waiting for a sound of acknowledgement from Felix before continuing. "Do you know... Emilia? Emilia von Steiermark?"</p><p>Felix hummed in thought but didn't tear his eyes off of the book. "No, I only know of the family name."</p><p>The von Steiermark family owed their fame to High Admiral Hauser von Steiermark, who was a highly competent commander in the Imperial Fleet during the Second Battle of Tiamat. That had been over 60 years ago but since then, the family continued to produce notable descendants and have now made a name for themselves in commerce. That was as much as they were taught, given their young age, but Alec wouldn't be surprised if Felix were to have done his own research out of curiosity in private.</p><p>"Of course you do. If you didn't, then I wouldn't be able to call you 'history nerd' anymore." Alec teased in a (successful) attempt at masking the slight reassurance he felt hearing from Felix's mouth directly that he had no clue who she was.</p><p>He then deflected the couch pillow thrown his way in retaliation with a small chuckle. "She recently moved up to our class, I heard she was in class B last year. I also heard..." Alec trailed off and slowly directed his gaze towards Felix, watching intently for even the most minuscule change in his expression. "... that she has a crush on you?"</p><p>Felix's attention remained fixated on the book in his hands and the only thing that pierced through the silence that took over the room was the soft flipping of pages. Soon enough, the older of the two realised that a response was expected of him and he quickly looked up to glance over at Alec, a finger bookmarking where he stopped. "Oh, I'm sorry. And? I don't know her, Alec-sama. How am I to have an opinion on someone I have not met?"</p><p>"But she's a von Steiermark. And the guys have been saying that she's pretty. Are you... not at all interested?"</p><p>"If you don't consider her pretty, then she might not be as pretty as they say she is. And..." Felix shook his head. "Not really, I don't have time to entertain shallow expressions of affection. If she really liked me, then she would come and talk to me. And besides, you keep me occupied as is; I don't need any other company."</p><p>Felix then changed the topic in favour of requesting permission to borrow the book he was presently reading. Although Alec had given a sound of approval, it was clear in its noncommital tone that his mind was elsewhere and he was focused on something else. A weight had been lifted off of Alec's shoulders that he hadn't realised had been placed there to begin with, his heart skipping a beat and his breathing eventually turning regular (he hadn't noticed either that he was awaiting Felix's response with bated breath).</p><p>At the time, he simply owed the sensation to the relief of not being robbed of a good friend. But later on in life, he would come to realise the true reason for the surge of happiness he felt at Felix's dismissal of the girl's affections.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p><b>Edit</b>: Momentarily escaped me that (Wolfgang) Mittermeyer was promoted, upon Reinhard's death, to Prime Imperial Marshal so I've since made that change. If I missed it somewhere, please just know that he's now Prime Imperial Marshal!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A reflection of their childhood, part II.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I apologise in advance that this isn't as great as I'd want it to be, but at least now I'm closer to the chapters that I really want to write? I'd be grateful if people stuck around until then, I promise I have things planned for this entire series!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In his infancy right up to the age of six, Alec had been a sickly child. It seemed like a foreboding nightmare, to be sure, for the doctors and truthfully the rest of the empire. Would they be robbed once again of their kaiser at an early age? Would all of the kaisers under the Lohengramm Dynasty be cursed with the Kaiser's Malady, formally known as the 'Variable Fulminant Collagen Disease'? Their fears were justly warranted, given the way in which the late Kaiser Reinhard gracefully exited this plane of existence, but these anxieties would gradually wane as time progressed; Alec would live on to bare witness to his eldest child as a reigning monarch in <em>her</em> own right, and he would spend the rest of his days in contented bliss with his partner till at least the age of 80.</p><p>That was not yet known to all of the players on the stage at the time, however, and so each episode of a fever was treated with utmost care and meticulosity. Alec was also subjected to weekly medical checkups even during his bouts of good health; as a gift her husband Reinhard had bestowed upon her, Hilda deemed it was her duty to take care of their son as best as she could and with as many of the resources available to them as possible. Of course, not a single person forgot the late kaiser's words right before his passing — that if Alec were deemed unfit to rule, then the next best candidate should take his place. In a situation such as that, there would be no need to maintain the Lohengramm Dynasty. And yet, they all hoped. Hoped that Alexander Siegfried would too take on the shape of a lion and be the second Löwenartig Kaiser (Lion Emperor).</p><p>Hilda had absolutely no intentions of raising her young cub into a lone wolf. With that in mind, she arranged numerous play dates for Alec and invited a number of other children (aside from Felix) that were around his age. One of these children was the child of Imperial Marshal Ulrich Kessler, Eryk Kessler, who till present day Alec regarded as a close friend. But as to be expected, those play dates would be cancelled whenever the young kaiser was under the weather. Most parents would have left it at that upon receiving the call from the kaiserin herself, assuring her that they would love for their child to be thought of the next time another play date came up and wishing the child monarch a speedy recovery.</p><p>That is, <em>most</em> parents.</p><p>The first time a play date had to be cancelled after Alec turned three, Hilda had personally called the Mittermeyer household first as she normally did to inform them of the cancellation before ringing up the other invitees. Soon after the very last call however, in a surprising turn of events, Hilda received a call from the very first person she had rung up.</p><p>"Eva?" Hilda and Evangeline had become good friends in the years following Reinhard's passing. So much that they were not only on a first name basis with one another, but also in the comfort of privacy took to calling each other by their nicknames.</p><p>"I apologise if I'm taking up your time, Hilda." Evangeline started off on the other end of the line, a slight hesitation in her voice. "However my little boy Felix insists on visiting Kaiser Alec, play date notwithstanding, or the lack thereof. I promise we will not get in the way of the kaiser's rest or be a disturbance in any way. He would just like to be present when Kaiser Alec is in better health and wishes to be of as much help as he can."</p><p>Hilda was taken aback by the proposition but was quick to respond with a delighted yes. No more than half an hour later, Mrs. Mittermeyer and young Felix arrived at the palace with a basket in hand containing a handful of peaches (Alec's favourite fruit) and Evangeline's homemade jelly fruit cake (which Alec had previously expressed fondness over).</p><p>"Your majesty." Felix, then four years of age, greeted the kaiserin regent with a salute and a serious expression. Hilda couldn't help but smile in endearment, though nevertheless she gave a dignified bow of her head in response. "I would like to help peel some peaches for Kaiser Alec to eat when he wakes up from his rest."</p><p>"My my, Kaiser Alec would be happy to have such a helpful friend." Hilda bent down slightly with her hands rested on her knees to meet Felix's eye level, a gentle smile still on her face. "Thank you, Felix. Shall we go check up on Kaiser Alec now and see if he's awake?"</p><p>Felix nodded earnestly in reply. Hilda lead them down the hallways of the imperial palace and up the stairs to Alec's room, politely waving off the attendants along the way who offered their assistance. Upon reaching Alec's door, she quietly turned the doorknob and slowly opened the door enough to lean her head in. Sure enough, Alec was already awake and sat upright on his bed, the book that she had left for him on the nightstand now opened and resting on his lap.</p><p>"Alec," Hilda started off gently and kept her volume down, though audible enough for Alec to hear. "Your friend Felix is here to visit you and he's brought some treats. Could Frau Mittermeyer and him come in?"</p><p>Whatever sombre expression or fatigue that was once visible on Alec's face was instantly abandoned for the joy and thrill that now coloured his ice-blue eyes. Taking Alec's eager nod as a yes, Hilda pushed the door open further and gestured for Felix to enter the room. After thanking the kaiserin, Felix dashed into the room without hesitation and brought himself over to the side of Alec's bed, promptly kicking off an animated conversation between the two young boys despite the bedridden child's ailment.</p><p>After procuring a chair for Felix to sit on beside Alec's bed, Hilda walked over to Evangeline who had taken a seat by the ceiling-tall window and rested her basket onto the little table beside it. "I have some work I need to tend to so if you need anything, please feel free to ask any of the servants for assistance. And please, make yourselves at home. Kaiser Alec's study room just behind those doors right there might have some books of interest to you."</p><p>Evangeline smiled softly up at Hilda. "Thank you, Kaiserin. Felix and I will retreat there if the kaiser goes back to sleep. Please make sure that you get enough rest as well. We all know that you've been working hard."</p><p>Hilda at her core had never been the sort of lady Evangeline was. She had learnt how to conduct herself well, of course, as was befitting her station as the daughter of a count. But it almost seemed contrived, the way she would place her hands before her neatly on her lap or the way her legs had to be at an angle when she sat, and in some ways it was. Gentleness and delicacy never seemed to exude from her as naturally as it did for Evangeline, and at first she hadn't within her the knowledge set on how to interact with women like Evangeline; her female friends, few as they were, tended to align with how she was like herself.</p><p>However, despite the unfamiliarity of it all, Evangeline was patient with Hilda and her presence inspired comfort; it didn't take long for Hilda to lower her defenses and find herself at ease with the fellow mother.</p><p>Hilda nodded and rested a hand on Evangeline's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, I will."</p><p>Although Hilda tried her best not to hold them to any expectations, it was hard to do when the Mittermeyer mother and son would always without fail pay a visit whenever Alec would fall ill. At times Eryk too would pay a visit, but never before Felix himself — Felix would always have been there first, having already presented to Alec an assortment of fruits or having read to him a book before the young monarch fell back asleep by the time Eryk arrived. There was no doubt that it played some part in the child monarch's attachment to his brown-haired friend; whenever he was sick, Felix was always there by his side and at the ready to provide whatever it was his blond friend needed. This would continue on well into the future and even in instances when Alec was not unwell. Felix would always be there, and his constant presence became a safety net for Alec without him having realised it himself until later on in his late teens.</p><p>The futile attempts at separating the two best friends was always met with little rebellions from the child king. There was no doubt that the adjective 'bratty' would come to the minds of most, and yet such defamation was quick to dissipate into thin air upon seeing the young kaiser's obedience the moment Felix was within his vicinity. It was for that reason, with the Mittermeyer's permission, that Felix was permitted the same education as the child monarch, or at the very least was allowed to sit in on his lessons to keep him in check.</p><p>There were simply more benefits than cons, even amidst the accusations of favouritism. The tutors' disapprovals would be met with Alec's nonchalance, while a comment from Felix regardless of how trivial would be treated seriously and its effects promptly visible. That wasn't to say, however, that Felix himself didn't have bouts of childlike misbehaviour; when it came to subjects the two young boys shared a mutual distaste for, they would band together and cause such a horror that the only solution was to let their curiosity run its course and wait for the storm to pass. It happened so rarely, however, that Hilda saw no harm in closing a blind eye every now and then.</p><hr/><p>Alec never placed much importance on what others thought of him, and one could say that living with that principle was the only way to survive being constantly compared to a man so legendary he was almost likened to a god. It was his lack of care that lead others to assume he had the patience of a saint, but that illusion would unfortunately be tested one day during the year Alec and Felix were placed into different classes.</p><p>Although it was not a requirement, Alec joined the science club in his fourth year after his science teacher had suggested that the science club's activities might be of interest to him. There were some conditions that had to be discussed prior to his official acceptance into the club, however — for example, Hilda brought up the possibility of bias among judges if Alec were to take part in science competitions, and so it was agreed upon that Alec would not represent the school in any fashion.</p><p>Alec's patience was tested on the day the science club held activities after school. Incidentally, it was also the same as the art club's, who had Felix as a member in their ranks since they reached their third year. It became a routine for the two childhood friends to wait for one another after their club activities, and from there they would either head to the palace together or Alec would ask his driver to drop Felix off at the Mittermeyer residence.</p><p>A few minutes before the end of club activities, Felix paid a visit to the science laboratory to inform Alec that club activities for him might run later than usual, and that there was no need to wait for him. Much to everyone in the science club's amusement, having known of the close relationship the young kaiser and his best friend shared, Alec didn't disappoint them when he assured Felix that he had no complaints waiting. The older of the two protested, but Alec then went on to say that he could take this opportunity to pay a visit to the school garden, as he sometimes did on their way back to class after recess. After agreeing to meet Alec at the garden after he was finished, Felix quickly apologised for the inconvenience before dashing back to the art room.</p><p>It came as a slight surprise to some that Alec displayed a casual interest in gardening. While Felix admired the beauty of the flowers and used them as subjects for his paintings, Alec analysed the plants in a different manner. It interested him to see the effects of various gardening techniques, of how certain families of plants thrived in certain soil types while they withered in others. It was while Alec was examining a particular plant that a group of boys he didn't recognise approached him.</p><p>"<em>Mein kaiser</em>. It's rare to see you alone. Where's that annoying friend of yours?"</p><p>There was a distasteful bite to the way the assumed leader of the clique addressed Alec, but it wasn't all too surprising. The group seemed to consist of Phezzanese boys (perhaps the sons of Phezzanese merchants) and although Phezzan had been made the capital of the Galactic Empire for over a decade now, there were still those who refused to accept the bitter chill of reality. Alec had gotten accustomed to the pleasantries that were sometimes forced out through gritted teeth, not to mention the fact that Alec could care less about the perceptions of others who deemed themselves the gatekeepers of the truth. What <em>did</em> irk him slightly, however, was the way his best friend was described.</p><p>"I don't care for making conversation with you. If you don't leave, I will." Alec allowed not a trace of his emotions be bared for them to witness in his expression or hear in his voice. He kept a steady gaze and stared directly into the slightly taller boy's eyes, in no way intimidated by how the group had definitly outnumbered him five to one.</p><p>"And what if we don't leave?" Another boy spoke this time, one with brown hair and green eyes. The same brown shade of Felix's hair but for some reason, this boy didn't seem to suit it as well as Felix did. "Not everyone wants to listen to you. My parents said your father was nothing but an ambitious upstart so your family's rule won't last for much longer now."</p><p><em>How original</em>, Alec thought to himself. He lacked the amount of limbs available to him that could count the number of times his father had been brought up in a conversation involving him. It was truthfully more of an annoyance at this point than the failed attempt as passive aggressiveness that was previously shown directly to him. "And your point is? My mother told me that if we do not have the capability to rule the Empire, then someone else will take our place. If that time comes, will you air out your complaints then too? Or will you finally be satisfied then, so long as my family is out of the picture?"</p><p>"We weren't talking about all that. We asked you another question, didn't we? Where's that annoying friend of yours? The one you're always clinging on to. Is he tired of you already?"</p><p>There it was again, the ill-mannered and completely incorrect adjective. If there was anyone that was truly annoying at the moment, it was these five boys that thought themselves to be the incarnation of wit and intelligence when that was clearly not the case. At least, that was what Alec thought to himself in his mind but refrained from vocalising. "No, I'm waiting for his club to finish. Now, if you'll excuse me."</p><p>Despite the lack of decency the five boys were now showcasing, manners were not yet lost to Alec — doing so would imply that they were able to make an educated monarch forget his teachings, which would be giving them more credit than they deserved. Alec lowered his head slightly and tried to squeeze in between two of the boys, but they simply closed the gap between them and the other boys proceeded to flank Alec.</p><p>"He was adopted, right?" Another boy began to speak. "My parents said his parents aren't his real parents, so what happened to them? You'd know about that, right? Since you two are <em>so</em> close."</p><p>Everyone already knew this. When rumors started circulating about Felix's true parentage, Prime Imperial Marshal Mittermeyer saw no reason to cower in shame and plainly divulged the truth in as little words as possible. That Felix Mittermeyer, the adopted son of one half of the Imperial Navy's Twin Ramparts, was the biological son of the other half. The late Marshal Oskar von Reuenthal. The man who—</p><p>"The marshal that betrayed Kaiser Reinhard, right? That's his father?"</p><p>"Right! Him! <em>Mein kaiser</em>, you're friends with a criminal's son? That's so scary!"</p><p>Alec felt his heart rate begin to increase and he felt a prickling heat underneath the skin of his cheeks. It was a sensation he rarely experienced since he turned seven, though recognised all the same. His hands balled up into fists by his side but he remained quiet, focusing instead on himself and regulating his breathing.</p><p>"And the son of a betrayer too. I wonder if disloyalty can be inherited."</p><p>"I'm sure the kaiser has the answer to that, or maybe he'll find out soon enough. I never trusted that dude, he always seemed to be hiding something."</p><p>It was starting to boil over, his restraint and dwindling composure, and Alec's jaw clenched. "Who gave you the right to talk about Felix?"</p><p>"Was that his name? Felix? Felix what? Felix Mittermeyer? Or was it... Felix von Reuenthal?"</p><p>Everything from then on was a blur and all Alec could see was the red of his anger and the adrenaline in his blood. Before his consciousness could catch up to him, Alec had already landed a punch to the boy's jaw and sent him crashing down onto the ground. That was not nearly enough to abate his frustration, however, and so he dealt a heavy kick to the fallen boy right before receiving a punch of his own. Alec staggered but managed to remain on his feet, though he took too long to recover from the blow and was thrown another punch before he could retaliate.</p><p>The fight continued on and all too consumed by the fury of his rage, he almost hadn't heard the voice that had called out to him at some point. Just as he registered the familiarity of the voice, he felt a force shove him aside and his back met the hard surface of a wall. The impact was enough to pull Alec out from the trance of his rage and into the sharpness of reality, enough to hear the last few words thrown out to him by the one that had pushed him aside.</p><p>"—can't be seen in a fight! Run before you're caught!"</p><p>It was Felix.</p><p>Alec dashed back in right as Felix rammed the sole of his foot into one of the boy's chests, but his brown-haired friend quickly pushed him away once more and the unexpected force sent Alec down onto the ground.</p><p>"Please leave now, Alec-sama! You can't be caught in a fight!"</p><p>"But Felix—"</p><p>"Hurry up and go!"</p><p>"What's going on here?!"</p><p>It was too late. The booming voice that came from the male teacher stomping towards the rowdy students immediately put a stop to the brawl, and all of their parents were called up.</p><p>All except Alec's.</p><p>Alec kept insisting that he was the one who started the fight, and perhaps the passionate protests from the young boy who before then was viewed as the personification of nonchalance and cool composure should have been enough to persuade the teachers in some way. But there was something disconcerting about informing the <em>kaiserin</em> that her son, the <em>kaiser</em> of the Empire, had been involved in a fight, and none of the teachers present at the time could find it within themselves to make that call.</p><p>To their credit, the five boys told the story in its truest entirety. That they were the ones who first agitated Alec, and Felix had entered the altercation practically just seconds before they had been caught. However, the last participant in the brawl told a conflicting story. Felix insisted that it was him who was first caught in the fight against the 5 other boys, and that Alec was involved for no other reason than to pull them apart. It went without saying that the teachers were more inclined to pick Felix's rendition of the incident to spin as the truth, simply because then they could disregard Alec's involvement in the whole episode.</p><p>The sun was beginning to set as the parents of the boys involved started pooling in. Upon seeing Evangeline, Alec immediately rushed towards her in almost tears and begged for her to listen to the truth of the matter, along with the request that Marshal Mittermeyer and her show leniency towards Felix.</p><p>"They were making fun of him!" Alec exclaimed with his hands gripped tightly onto the skirt of Evangeline's dress, ice blue eyes pleading up at her. "They were making fun of him and his father!"</p><p>The mention of the late Marshal von Reuenthal took Evangeline by surprise and a chill coursed through her, but she kept it from showing on her face. Instead she smiled down upon Alec gently and began to stroke the back of his hair, speaking in soft, soothing tones. "Okay. I understand, Kaiser Alec. I will now talk to the teachers, and then I'll talk to my husband when he comes back home. Please, you should head back to the palace now. Your mother will start to worry."</p><p>When Alec heard that Felix, along with the five boys, received a three days' long suspension from school, Alec immediately stormed over to Hilda to right the wrong and after promising that she would have a proper talk with Alec right afterwards, Hilda called the school to discuss dropping Felix's suspension and to suspend Alec instead. As expected, the school was initially reluctant to put Hilda's proposition up for consideration, but eventually came to the resolution of suspending Alec as well, though all of the now six boys' suspensions would not be put on their records.</p><p>After receiving a stern lecture from Hilda, Alec was permitted one phone call to Felix and most of the call was dedicated to Alec repeatedly apologising for dragging Felix into the whole mess. Felix couldn't help but laugh into the receiver and he stuck to his stance that he only wished he could have done more to express his gratitude after Alec stood up for him. Once Felix thanked him and Alec said that Felix would have done the same for him, Hilda took the phone from Alec and requested that Felix put Evangeline on the line.</p><p>As much as the adults had hoped otherwise, Alec and Felix didn't learn much from the whole fiasco. All they had gained was a strengthened sense of camaraderie, and further reaffirmation that they would always be there for one another.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter III</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Their first year at the military academy, part I.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Perhaps I could write an entire post on how I envisioned the future of the Empire to be like (i.e the structre and make-up of society, the education system, etc) but I don't really have time for that so I hope everyone will be satisfied with the little bits of information I sprinkle in! And yes, early into Hilda's regency (perhaps a year or two into it) the military has been significantly down-scaled but they've also since allowed women to enlist (although the percentage is still small, similar to that in the old FPA).</p><p>I've taken way too long on this and I'll never be fully satisfied with it so I might as well just post it now lol</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Felix had long decided when he was young that he would follow the footsteps of his fathers, though there were times he wavered.</p><p>His father Prime Marshal Mittermeyer made it clear that he had absolutely no expectations of Felix following his line of trade. He even went on to add, for good measure, that he was certain he could speak for the late Marshal von Reuenthal as well when he stated they would both be most pleased if Felix were to pursue whatever it was that provided him the most happiness. And yet Felix insisted on his delight to be given the opportunity to walk the same path his fathers did.</p><p>That was not to say, however, that Felix had no other interests in life.</p><p>Felix loved to read in the same way his best friend Kaiser Alec did, though their preference in publications differed. Alec favoured scientific journals and academic papers on various subjects, whereas Felix delved deeper into historical records and classic literature. Once or twice did Felix consider becoming a historian, or to be so renowned for his writings that he be honoured with the title of Imperial Poet Laureate. But a part of him felt as though such professions didn't entirely suit him, and thus he pushed the musing aside.</p><p>He also considered pursuing a career as a musician after having already gotten a head start. In the year SE 808 (or Year 10 of the New Imperial Calendar), Felix had won second place in the Imperial Musical Concours for the junior violin division, and then third place the following year under the same category for the cello division. Judges and music enthusiasts alike (including Marshal Ernest Mecklinger, who posed as a guest judge in the year SE 808) all fervently anticipated the blossoming of a new prodigy. However, they were left agape when Felix thereafter reconciled with himself that thus was the limits of his potential, and he then proceeded to place more focus on fencing.</p><p>Contrary to popular belief, it was Alec who first brought up the topic between the two friends of enrolling in the military academy after elementary school. Most assumed he was simply chasing after the feet of his brown-haired friend, given that there was no need for an emperor to go through the exact same training as his subjects. But little did they know that despite vehemently asserting he had absolutely no plans of emulating his father to any degree, he genuinely believed there would be much to gain from him going through the motions his subordinates would have to. If he had any true intentions of leading them in the future, that is.</p><p>Hilda played no part in influencing Alec's decision. If anything, when Alec brought it up during breakfast together right before he left for elementary school, the regent expressed her reservations. There was still so much Alec needed to learn to properly serve the people in his position as kaiser that would not be taught at the academy, and much of the academy's curriculum would not be of appropriate use to Alec. Such were but some of the doubts Hilda voiced out, not to mention the matter of security and what plans or measures needed enforcement to safeguard Alec's person.</p><p>After seeking the advice and opinions of the various marshals, a compromise was made. The matter of Alec's safety was precarious to navigate around due to the risks involved given the person in question, but they managed. The military academy on the capital planet of Phezzan was built, for various reasons, on a man-made island connected to the mainland via a single bridge; not only would that provide a significant deterrent for potential terrorists, so long as the perimeter was tightly secured and the traffic on the bridge closely monitored, then the risk of harm befalling the young kaiser before detection would be reduced.</p><p>As for his accommodations at the academy's dormitories, special arrangements were prepared for him. Attached to the double bedded room all dorm residents were assigned to was a study room just for him that would be utilised whenever his tutors would arrive in the evening, and the standardised en suite toilet and bath had an additional laundry machine that was the only unit on any of the non-communal floors. As for the matter of his potential roommate, Alec was allowed the privilege of having control over assigning that position, primarily because it was one that carried too much weight to leave in the hands of the academy's administration. And so Alec asked Felix if he would be willing to be his roommate, to which Felix obviously responded with an elated yes.</p><p>That was how the two best friends both enrolled in the Imperial Capital Military Children's Academy, and spent the next five years attached to the hip once more.</p>
<hr/><p>It was 30 March, SE 813. Or Year 15 of the New Imperial Calendar. The arrival of spring proclaimed the beginning of the school year and on the Saturday two weeks into the academic year, an event was held for the clubs at the Imperial Capital Military Children's Academy to showcase their various achievements and try their might at attracting potential members. Truthfully, it was an event of little interest to Alec and Felix; Alec would be kept busy after school with the tutor that had been given special permission to enter the academy's premises in the evenings, and Felix had decided to dedicate his first year at the academy to getting accustomed to their new phase in life before considering the possibility of allocating time for after school activities.</p><p>Given the nature of the institute, it attracted like-minded individuals and a vast majority of clubs within the academy were all of considerable relevance; a wide range of sports clubs here, a select few niche interest groups there (a club existed whose activities were dedicated to the study and analysis of the late Free Planets Alliance Marshal Yang Wenli, for example). Aside from the orchestra club and the library club that aided the librarians in managing the extensive repository of information housed at the academy, there were no other clubs within the same scope or field. After hearing of Felix's participation in his previous school's art club, a group of upperclassmen had approached him after school one day to request that he join them and help meet the number of members required to start an art club, however Felix politely rejected their invitation and explained that if he were to join a club, it would most likely be for another interest.</p><p>Whether or not it bore any significance to them, the potential art club was not the only club rejected by Felix; if Alec were allowed to represent the academy or had the time, then there was no doubt he would have received similar offers. But since that was not the case, it seemed as though most relied on Felix to account for both of their offered positions. The orchestra club was quick to scout him as well soon after the start of the school year and acknowledged his achievements on the violin and cello, however Felix insisted that his accomplishments were but highly welcomed flukes and he would only bring down the rest of the orchestra. The equestrian club too inquired his interest in joining their ranks after hearing that Alec and Felix were both competent in horseback riding, though Felix disappointed them as well and ended all hope of recruitment by stating his membership might not be of much benefit.</p><p>Despite the fact that the two childhood friends could not make it any more clear that they had no intentions of joining any clubs, there they were at 8:30 in the morning, still in their room but soon to depart for the main campus grounds.</p><p>"I still don't see why we have to go," Alec complained for the umpteenth item from his seat at the foot of his bed. He was already dressed and ready for the day despite his protests, however that accomplishment was all thanks to Felix taking it upon himself to ensure the young monarch was all ready to go first before he donned on his own uniform. "It isn't compulsory."</p><p>"We don't <em>have</em> to go but we <em>should</em> go," Felix contended yet again as he did his buttons. "Everyone's going to take a look around."</p><p>"And?" Alec raised an eyebrow. "Your point is...?"</p><p>"Alec-sama," Felix began in a slightly exasperated tone as he finished up his buttons and moved on to the cufflinks. "Your mother, the Kaiserin Regent, trusted me to ensure you have a holistic and well-rounded school life. That includes maintaining a circle of friends."</p><p>The blond-haired adolescent didn't miss a beat when he countered. "But I already have you."</p><p>"And <em>I</em> am not <em>plural</em>," Felix too rebutted in an instant, already accustomed to the different variations of the same phrase Alec would constantly throw at him and armed with the appropriate response. He turned his body to face Alec and sighed softly. "No one is asking you to befriend <em>everyone</em>. Even I'm not friends with everyone."</p><p>"Not yet, but you will be soon enough."</p><p>"Haha, very funny." Felix rolled his eyes. "Please don't tease me, Alec-sama. Regardless of what you insist, we are <em>going</em>. So please stand up."</p><p>He gestured with a hand for Alec to rise to his feet and walked over to his study table to grab both of their things, which really only consisted of their phone and wallet. (Felix doubted that they would have to spend money if there was anything that interested them at the various booths, however there was still the matter of lunch later on and so they needed some currency on them.)</p><p>Rather obediently, Alec did as instructed and followed Felix out the door. After the older of the two made certain their door was locked, he passed Alec's things to their owner and they then made their way down the corridor to the stairs.</p><p>"Some of the guys are already downstairs so we'll wait for the rest and then go to the front gates, that's where the girls said they'll meet us," Felix said.</p><p>Alec looked over at Felix with furrowed eyebrows. "Is that the real reason why you want to go? For that girl? The one that likes you?"</p><p>Felix spoke plainly. "I told you, she doesn't <em>like</em> me."</p><p>"You don't have to act humble with me," Alec assured as they descended down the stairs, though the slight negative tone in his voice was a contradiction Felix quickly spotted. "You two have been messaging each other ever since the first day of school."</p><p>"We have similar interests!" Felix said in defence. "I'm sure if you talked to her too, you'd have plenty to talk about."</p><p>"I'm not interested." Alec shook his head. "I can't keep the conversation going with most people."</p><p>"Oh, then I am <em>truly</em> blessed to be <em>honoured</em> with the <em>privilege</em> of maintaining such a <em>meager</em> conversation with you, Alec-sama." Felix's voice oozed with exaggeration and his occasional flair for dramatics.</p><p>Alec rolled his eyes and shoved at Felix lightly with a hand. "You know that's not what I meant, don't get cheeky with me, Felix Mittermeyer."</p><p>"I hereby <em>sincerely</em> apologise, Kaiser Alexander Siegfried von Lohengramm." Felix kept to his dramatised antics and earned another shove from his blond-haired friend. "And I do know. But I <em>also</em> know that you're capable of having a decent conversation with others. You just need to put in a little more effort."</p><p>"I <em>do</em> put in effort, but there's only so much I can talk about basketball or whatever that cartoon is, the one with all the people with the superpowers?"</p><p>"I actually forgot the title of that show too but that's not—"</p><p>Felix stopped himself when they reached the ground floor of the dormitory and one of the boys they were meeting up with called out to them. As always, before greeting Felix normally, they greeted Alec with a bow and a verbal confirmation of his title (or at least, that was what Alec likened it to whenever he was called "Kaiser Alec" or "your majesty"). For some reason, most found it a greater offence to drop formalities and risk the possibility of offending him than to upset his feelings. If he had spoken up about it then perhaps people would lower the invisible walls they seemed to construct between themselves and Alec, but he deemed it too much of a hassle for what it was worth and frankly, he was long accustomed to it.</p><p>They made their way to the front gates of the main campus after everyone had arrived and met with the group of girls Felix mentioned. Just as Alec had anticipated, there she was. The girl Felix (in Alec's mind) <em>clearly</em> fancied, who showed no ounce of hesitation when she skipped over and took her place at Felix's other side after greeting Alec. Alec had both no recollection of her name and also a keen memory of it—Yuliya <em>something</em>, her family name was of little importance. All he remembered was that it was supposedly an uncommon family name in Phezzan, and so he was of the belief that her family moved at some point from another planet within the Empire to the capital, as a great number of families and people have done in the past decade.</p><p>The group proceeded on into the campus grounds and strolled past the various booths with the girls and guys mingled together in front while Alec, Felix and Yuliya were a few steps behind. To his credit, despite what Alec later on described as the persistent leech by his friend's side, Felix always kept in step with Alec and never strayed too far away from him—if Alec were to step closer to a booth for further inspection, Felix would follow suit and the girl would have to find her way back to Felix's side. Alec thought it was Felix's consideration at play again, wanting to help Alec feel a sense of comfort within the group of new acquaintances they met only two weeks ago. But the truth of the matter was that Felix never made such conscious calculations with Alec; he simply gravitated closer towards the friend he felt most amicable with, as do most people when out in a group.</p><p>Regardless of how considerate Felix was being about the whole situation, a small part of Alec was still slightly irked by the lack of shame the leech was seeming to exude. She seemed to have no reservations about grabbing Felix's arm at random points in their conversation or tugging him away to wherever she urged he follow her to.</p><p><em>Were people this excessively bold when they liked someone, have they no shame</em>, Alec kept the remark to himself within his mind.</p><p>Alec made sure to closely monitor Felix's expression so he could detect any hint of discomfort from his close friend, but at the very least it seemed as though Felix had no aversion to his proximity with the auburn-haired girl. Felix had always been more accepting of physical contact than he was, Alec reminded himself; the only people Alec was ever alright receiving physical touch from were his family, Felix and Eryk (albeit still in moderation, even if they've known each other for years now). It was most likely for that entirely biased reason that Alec couldn't fathom how Felix could stomach all that closeness and touching.</p><p>If anything, he seemed like a fool for worrying so much; Felix could take exceptional care of himself in social situations, especially more so than Alec. The blond monarch had nothing to worry about and yet, a heavy weight took it upon itself to find home deep within his stomach.</p><p>The hands on Alec's watch seemed to move slower and slower by the second—the only borderline noteworthy incident was when another club (this time, the fencing club) yet again attempted to recruit Felix as the group made their rounds and were fairly satisfied when Felix promised he would <em>consider</em> applying the following year. It seemed like it took forever for three hours to pass and for the majority to conclude that 12:30 in the afternoon was as good a time as any to have lunch.</p><p>Alec took the seat directly across from Felix at the cafeteria table the group chose and the doe-eyed pest occupied the one to Felix's left. Sure, she seemed nice and all—for better or for worse (?), Felix had good taste in everything—and perhaps Alec was being unfair to Yuliya. But he never liked her type to begin with, the bright and cheerful sort who seemed to have nothing on their shoulders for them to bear. She had little chance of getting into Alec's good books to begin with, and her brazen demeanour did nothing to help her position.</p><p>As Alec consumed the food in front of him and threw in a response to the table's conversation as and when appropriate, he thought to himself if Felix would now grant him the release of returning to their room. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn't so selfish as to ask for Felix to go back with him (even if doing so would finally pull the auburn-haired girl away from his best friend), and he would be plenty satisfied with the permission (?) to retire for the day.</p><p>Soon after he and some of the guys had finished their food, Alec spoke up. "I think I'll head back to my room, I still have some homework to do."</p><p>Not <em>entirely</em> a lie, but not the full truth either; if he were to be honest, he planned on getting back to that mystery novel he was reading as soon as he was changed out of his uniform. He somehow found it within himself to stop reading the night before once the clock struck at midnight, but it was only with the hope of reading once again the moment he woke up that he managed to exercise self-restraint. It went without saying that he was unable to follow through on the promise he made to himself that morning and now that he thought about it, that was probably another major reason why he hadn't wanted to go to the club display in the first place. The other reason, of course, being his habit of avoiding crowds whenever feasible.</p><p>There were some well-mannered protests from the group and Alec defended himself with a small chuckle, insisting that he had no need to look at the rest of the clubs anyway. As some of the guys continued to vouch that it was in the interest of the group that Alec remained, the blond-haired boy in question turned to look back at Felix in the hopes of gauging his reaction.</p><p>There was no need for that, however, as Felix's next words—surprising to Alec, as they were—clearly indicated his stance on the matter.</p><p>"Oh. Then perhaps I'll head back as well."</p><p>It was music to Alec's ears and an evident disappointment to the young girl who had hoped to remain by Felix's side for longer. Yuliya of course requested for Felix to reconsider, but Felix—sweet, sweet Felix—joked that his father would murder him if he allowed for the kaiser to get lost within the academy. To Alec, it was obvious that Felix's aim was to lift ever so slightly the odd fog that began to build up over the table since Alec announced he would be departing first, and Alec played along by quipping he had a decent sense of direction.</p><p>Once everyone had gotten up and returned their trays and used cutlery to the designated return station, Felix and Alec parted from the group and headed for the direction back towards the male dormitories.</p><p>The brown-haired youth wasted no time in accusing Alec of dishonesty. "You're going to finish reading the novel I lent to you, yes?"</p><p>Though he had hoped for otherwise, Alec wasn't surprised that he'd been caught red-handed. He merely nodded as they walked in step.</p><p>Felix grinned at his small victory. "I'd love to discuss the book with you as soon as you finish it so if you finish it by tonight, I'll start reading the book you kept requesting I read. Deal?"</p><p>"Deal."</p><p>They shared a laugh and returned to their dorm without incident.</p>
<hr/><p>Alec was unable to finish the book before the deadline his best friend had set, however that was not the reason why Felix failed to meet his end of the bargain.</p><p>Weeks after the club display, Felix's time was kept occupied by none other than Yuliya what's-her-surname. The only time the two best friends could spend with one another after school was their promised homework time scheduled for right after dinner, which never lasted for long since Felix would quickly finish what needed to be done so he could excuse himself to the dormitory lounge and chat on the phone with his newfound paramour.</p><p>Felix would never admit that they were more than friends. Whenever Alec would probe for answers, Felix would simply dismiss him by stating he enjoyed having conversations with her just as he did with Alec, and Alec didn't know which made him more upset: that perhaps there was some truth to Felix's statement and Alec was merely blowing things out of proportion, or that he was being compared to someone like her.</p><p>There was no reasonable justification for Alec to get upset, either. Felix would always go out of his way to excuse himself from their room despite the fact that it was equally as much his room as it was Alec's. Once again a testament to Felix's consideration, knowing that Alec had additional homework left for him from his tutor and had much more to study for—he couldn't possibly remain in the room and pose as an auditory nuisance. Which, in all honesty, irked Alec more.</p><p>"I can't seem to understand why I'm so unjustly upset with that girl," Alec spoke into his phone one night when he called Eryk via the Kessler household landline soon after Felix left the room.</p><p>Although there was no room for argument that Alec would deign the title of his best friend to Felix, Alec still regarded Eryk as a close friend and the three of them <em>did</em> spend ample time together in their formative years. It was a given that if there was something he needed to discuss that may not be best for Felix's ears, Eryk was the next candidate. However, Alec didn't call Eryk just to selfishly ramble on about his misfortunes. His true intentions at first were to simply check in on a good friend—it was a coincidence that the conversation derailed to the topic at hand.</p><p>Alec heard Eryk reply from the other end of the line. "Really? It seems pretty obvious to me you're just upset she's hogging up most of your best friend's time these days."</p><p>The young monarch hummed in thought.. "I suppose that's true. But that doesn't answer <em>why</em> that upsets me."</p><p>"Of course it would upset you! You two have been joined to the hip since before I was even born, right? That's at least 9 years!"</p><p>"So what you're saying is..." Alec trailed off as he organised his thoughts. "I'm upset because what I had grown accustomed to, what had become my routine, has suddenly been altered... without my say on the matter?"</p><p>Alec caught what sounded like a laugh. "I don't really understand what you just said but I think you're right? Oh, actually," Eryk began and waited for Alec to cue him to proceed. "Now that I think about it, I'm going through the same thing. This one friend of ours used to hang out with us, but now he's hanging out with this other dude and it's been annoying me too."</p><p>"Ah, so perhaps this is a normal occurrence among friends?"</p><p>"I guess." Eryk sighed on the other end of the line. "It's still annoying though."</p><p>Alec chuckled slightly. "It is. Perhaps we should both talk to them. You with that friend of yours and me with Felix."</p><p>"Ah, yea. That's so uncool though."</p><p>Alec raised an eyebrow. "Is it?"</p><p>"It is." Alec made out what seemed to be a laugh from Eryk. "Sounds like something my mother would say."</p><p>"Don't call me your mother," Alec said with a small whine.</p><p>"I'm not <em>calling</em> you my mother, I'm saying you're <em>like</em> my mother. Totally different thing, Alec-sama."</p><p>"Sure, sure. Whatever you say..."</p><p>Alec trailed off upon hearing the doorknob turn and he looked up from his seat on his bed to see Felix return into the room. Taking this as an appropriate moment to end his conversation with Eryk, Alec said his goodbyes. "Ah, Felix just came back so I'm hanging up. I'm talking to him about it now so you better talk to your friend too! Kaiser's orders! Bye!"</p><p>Alec heard the beginnings of a protest right before he cut the line and ended the call.</p><p>Walking over to his own bed, Felix raised an eyebrow over at Alec and smiled. "Was that Eryk? Is he well?"</p><p>Alec nodded and he kept his phone away onto his nightstand. "He is, but he's been having troubles with a friend, it seems. He said that they've been neglecting their friend group."</p><p>"Ah, so that was what you asked him to talk to his friend about?" Alec nodded once more and Felix hummed in understanding.</p><p>He was quick to recall what Alec had said prior to that, however, and his features contorted into an expression of slight confusion. As he climbed onto his bed, which was separated from Alec's bed only by their nightstands in between, he probed another question. "Then what was it that you wanted to talk to me about, Alec-sama?"</p><p>Alec turned his body to face his brown-haired friend and Felix showed the same courtesy. For no more than a handful of seconds, silence took over the room as Alec brought order to the growing swarm of words in his mind.</p><p>Eventually, he expelled them into the air. Steady and without an ounce of hesitation. "It's the same thing. I wanted to talk to you about how I've been feeling as though you've been spending more time with that girl recently and the disruption to what is considered the norm for us seems to upset me."</p><p>Anyone suddenly ambushed by such an unexpected accusation would surely have been left as speechless as Felix was now, his eyes wide open and his throat going increasingly dry with each passing second. His heart thumped persistently hard against his chest but he soon found the wherewithal to swallow the invisible lump that formed in his throat.</p><p>Felix took a deep breath and raised his hand, slightly pleading. "W-Wait wait, please give me a moment, Alec-sama..."</p><p>How was Felix supposed to answer to that?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yea, Alec's definitely exaggerating things in his mind to various degrees because his Felix needs aren't met. Sorry, Felix's first 'girlfriend', I promise he'll be better in the next chapter lol</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter IV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Their first year at the military academy, part II, and their second year at the academy, where they had their first argument.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Felix returned to their room, he hadn't expected to be attacked by such a heavy subject matter almost as soon as he stepped in.</p><p>There were usually procedures to these things. Perhaps one would start with some innocuous small talk and then gradually pepper in some topics of relevance, before finally easing into the main agenda at hand. Felix then remembered, however, that it was foolish of him to believe that Alec would stick to such conventions. Alec instead dictated his <em>own</em> conventions and went wherever he directed the wind to blow; he wouldn't be doing otherwise any time soon.</p><p>Felix wouldn't go so far as to call himself passive-aggressive, but there was no questioning that he was certainly not as straightforward as his best friend Alec had always been. In Felix's defence, comparing oneself to Alec in that arena was rather unfair; only few in the galaxies here and far beyond could match the forthrightness Alec could so easily deem himself the gatekeeper of, with how much of it he used as the basis of his principles.</p><p>But he was going off on a tangent. After reeling in his surprise, Felix now had to rack his brain and formulate a response that was not only truthful, but also brought some comfort to the close friend he had unintentionally hurt. The shock from earlier was truly beginning to wear off and what took its place was a layer of guilt mixed with a genuine wave of sadness that he could only imagine was a fraction of how Alec must have felt.</p><p>Disarrayed thoughts and jumbled up words were currently the building blocks of Felix's mind, but the need to correct a wrong bulldozed through and forced them into some semblance of a line. He took a deep breath and started off with what he needed to express first.</p><p>"...I'm sorry, Alec-sama," Felix murmured as he gazed straight ahead into Alec's eyes, earnest and true. "I hadn't known you felt that way I never want to upset you, I swear."</p><p>Another surprise came in the form of a smile from his blond-haired friend, soft and understanding. "I know." Alec took a slight pause before speaking again. "I know. And I appreciate your... apology. As weird as it is, because I can't remember the last time you've apologised to me."</p><p>"Hey." Felix huffed quietly, knowing that he was in no place to be making any complaints at the moment, but still unable to fully hold himself back. "Don't say that like there were times where I <em>had</em> to apologise to you."</p><p>"<em>Well</em>, for starters, you still have yet to read the book I recommended to you."</p><p>Felix gave a pathetic smile. "I'm sorry. I promise I'll make more time for us to hang out together. And I'll read it tomorrow, right after I finish my homework."</p><p>"Don't make promises you can't keep~"</p><p>Alec intended for it to be a lighthearted joke and his tone suggested as much, airy and exaggeratedly melodious. But Felix either didn't get the message or chose to ignore it because his tone was devoid of such playfulness and was, in fact, the exact opposite.</p><p>"I won't." Felix spoke firmly and with the conviction of a man much older than his own age. "So I intend to keep this promise. No matter what."</p><p>The young monarch was taken aback by the serious reply he had not anticipated, but easily changed his expression back into a gentle smile. "I believe you. So... are we alright?"</p><p>Alec was glad to see Felix smile back. "Always."</p>
<hr/><p>There was always no harm in voicing out misgivings before they festered into more, or at least that was what Alec believed. However, if he had waited just a few more weeks, he may not have had need of approaching Felix with his qualms at all.</p><p>When Felix gradually sectioned out some of his time with Yuliya to replace with time with his best friend, the young girl soon realised what he was doing and asked if he could give her more of his time, the same way Alec had done weeks before. The difference between Alec's request and hers however was that by that time, the fascination of a new (and his first one, at that) relationship and the euphoric high of a budding romance had already run its course, and there were no hopes of rekindling it on Felix's side.</p><p>He knew better than to lie and lead her to believe that he treasured his time with her more than or at least as much as the time he spent with his closest friend, even though that was certainly not the case. And so their romance ended one day behind one of the campus buildings, and the transaction was sealed by a mighty slap to Felix's cheek.</p><p>The brown-haired teen couldn't find it within himself to hold it against her and years later, she would apologise for her immaturity. Felix then smiled and assured her there was nothing to forgive, before wishing her all the happiness in the world. They remained in close contact after that and a decade later, Felix was even invited to her wedding with a man he wholeheartedly believed was worthy of such a bright and erudite woman. The couple would have three children and lived a quaint and happy life in the countryside.</p><p>Whether it was related or no more than a mere coincidence, it was a week or so after their breakup that Felix first experienced what he believed and heard to be was the first step into manhood, the next morning after a... <em>tantalising</em> dream. For someone such as himself who had exemplary memory retention, the visual of that fateful morning in his mind made his ability a haunting curse. He remembered awkwardly lumbering towards the bathroom, essentially unaccustomed to the new sensation between his legs, and making certain the door was locked in case Alec would wake up and walk in on him doing... whatever it was that males did to alleviate the build up down below.</p><p>Sure, he was a rather active participant in the conversations he had with his other male friends regarding <em>that</em> topic, and his mother (yes his mother, because Prime Marshal Mittermeyer seemed much more significantly awkward and unsettled about the whole affair than she was) gave him as best a rendition of "The Talk" as she could. But nothing really prepared you for when the time came, and all of it became for naught because scientific information and rational thinking was lost to Felix in the heat of the moment, amidst his mild panic.</p><p>Alec's first experience the next year was a complete opposite from Felix's, to say the least, though the beginning of the tale was similar. The journey to the end of it in comparison, however, was much more abundant in self-confidence and a clear comprehension of what was going on. Although his grandfather had given him a brief rundown on what to expect from puberty, most of the information provided to him came in the form of a book his mother had requested he give a read around the age of 11. He did as he was told and was grateful that he did; for some reason, the two best friends were too bashful to talk about it then, but in the future Felix would open up about how embarrassing his first time was, and Alec would then in surprise confess that his experience was nothing of the sort.</p><p>There were other significant developments that occurred as well in their second year at the academy, which coincided with the year SE 814 or Year 16 of the New Imperial Calendar. Aside from his second ever romantic relationship (which lasted far longer than his first), that was also the year Felix joined the fencing club and the two childhood friends shared their first heart-to-heart conversation.</p><p>Instead of heading back to the dormitories after school ended, Alec chose to spend some time at the library and browse through the multitude of shelves he had not yet the chance to make so much as a cursory glance at. Incidentally, the fencing club's allocated practice day was also the same day he didn't have any additional tuition scheduled in the evening, and so Alec was able to immerse himself without any worries into the book he picked out from the masses as he waited for a message from Felix.</p><p>Just as he was about to make a considerable dent on the book, he received the message notifying him that practice had ended. Alec replied back assuring Felix that, just as they had agreed upon before parting ways, Alec would meet him so they could go to the dorm cafeteria together for dinner. He picked up his bag and proceeded to the borrowing station located at the entrance of the library to check out the book in his hand before heading to the club room designated for the fencing club.</p><p>It was a given that, as a result of his title, everyone at the academy knew who he was. What came as a surprise to him still, however, was that people were also aware of who he spent the most time with. Alec arrived at the fencing club's room just as a number of students streamed out of it, and one of them who had spotted him spoke up.</p><p>"Oh, Kaiser Alec!" She called out to him in a friendly tone but refrained from sounding too familiar to him, Alec noted. "If you're looking for Felix, your majesty, he left for the showers some time ago so he's probably still in the locker room."</p><p>"Thank you." Alec expressed his gratitude with a small bow of his head and proceeded in the direction of the locker room.</p><p>Alec knew he was headed the right way to the expansive male locker room shared by all of the male members of the various sports clubs when he could hear, even from a distance in the corridor, the loud voices of rowdy teenage boys clowning about. The commotion seemed to die down just as Alec found himself in front of the door, however he heard the mention of his name and his hand, about to wrap around the doorknob, paused in its tracks.</p><p>"Even in private, you refer to the kaiser as 'Alec-sama', right? Aren't you two close?"</p><p>It was a voice Alec didn't think he had heard before, however the voice of the person that spoke next was a voice Alec knew all too well.</p><p>"We are, yes. Or at least I believe that we are, and I'm grateful to be as close to him as I am." It was an almost deafening decibel, the thrumming of his heartbeat ringing between his ears, and a tightness was beginning to work its way up his shoulders.</p><p>Despite the discomforting sensation, Alec needed to know what Felix would say next, if he were to say anything more at all—no. That can't be where Felix stops, what he's said thus far did nothing to alleviate the growing anxiety within him and if anything, was what started it all. Alec had expected a quick response, a firm 'Of course we are, we're best friends' that would invite no further comments. Alas, that was not what had been brought forward into the conversation he was so obviously eavesdropping on, and the disappointment didn't stop there.</p><p>He heard a small chuckle from Felix. "But that doesn't change the fact that he's still the kaiser. He may have requested that I stop calling him that all the time, but of course I can't be impertinent. At the end of the day, he's still Kaiser Alec."</p><p>Felix's words pierced through him cold like sharp ice and the recognition of his naivety slapped him hard against the chest.</p><p>In his heart and in every aspect of his life, Alec had regarded Felix as different from the rest. Felix was a true friend, one of two of his only true friends, who didn't hesitate a second in scolding him when he had done wrong and didn't tiptoe around him like everyone else did. But the realisation that Felix regarded himself as otherwise, that he regarded himself as one of the masses that kept their distance from him like he was a majestic beast to behold or a saint to revere, stung more than Alec could have ever imagined.</p><p>Alec could make out more chatter and banter thrown about, but it was muffled and overpowered by the storm brewing within him. Was he angry? He didn't know. Was he upset? Possibly so. Upset at Felix? Yet another unknown. Was he... <em>hurt</em>?</p><p>Most definitely.</p><p>He could run away now—back to their room where it was safe and away from the looming ghost on his back—and message Felix with some undoubtedly dubious excuse in the interest of buying himself some time to regain his composure, but Alec didn't do that. Instead, what he did was worse.</p><p>When Alec opened the door and stepped into the locker room, Felix was greeted by a boy he hadn't met before. No, it was inaccurate to label the one before him as a boy. The man before him had taken on the likeness of his best friend, from the same blond waves to the identical watch on his wrist, but he wasn't the Alec that Felix knew acutely well. More than he did himself.</p><p>The young male before him had a darkness in his eyes that clouded the ice blue of his friend's, but his voice adequately made up for the absent chill. "Have the other guys messaged you?"</p><p>It took Felix a few seconds to recognise that the question was directed at him, and a few beats more to register what had been asked. He didn't even notice that everyone else in the room had gone pin-drop silent, and that all eyes were turned to them. His mind fumbled as it searched for the right words to respond with. "A-Ah, yes. They said they would meet us at the cafeteria."</p><p>"Then can we go now?" The probe sounded almost impatient, but Felix knew Alec. He knew that his blond friend at times forsook conventional norms in favour of prompt and effective messages, instead of padding them with unnecessary frills and formalities.</p><p>However, this was different. Alec knew better than to ask something so sharp and direct with nothing like a smile or a soft tone to smooth out the edges, which further led Felix to believe that this was not Alec. Whoever this was must either be an impostor, or else Felix would have to live with the fact that he didn't know everything there was to Alec like he believed that he did.</p><p>And he hated himself for finding the former easier to stomach.</p><p>"Y-Yes." Felix quickly nodded and walked over to the nearby bench to grab his things. "I'll just run back to the club to grab my bag, please wait here, Alec-sama."</p><p>He barely saw Alec wordlessly nod in response as he walked past him and hurried back to the club room. Felix dreaded the thought of having to go back and face the familiar stranger that was now masquerading as his close friend, but cowardice did no one any good and Felix had no plans of adding it into his dictionary any time soon.</p><p>When he returned to the locker room, he found Alec stood outside waiting for him and peered into the room to see that everyone was still where they were. Perhaps too afraid to tiptoe past Alec the same way he did earlier, Felix thought, and he truthfully couldn't blame them. Even he was rather reluctant to be within close radius of Alec at that moment.</p><p>A silence that had previously been foreign to the two childhood friends took over them as they walked side by side down the corridor. Felix wanted to say something, anything that could take a crack at the invisible wall that he hadn't realised had been built between Alec and him, but what <em>could</em> he say when he didn't know <em>what</em> to say? Whatever it was that was currently plaguing Alec was a mystery to him, and who was to say there <em>was</em> something plaguing him to begin with?</p><p><em>There had to be</em>, Felix stubbornly thought. Something of significant proportions <em>must</em> have happened to have so effectively turned his best friend into a complete stranger.</p><p>Felix took a deep breath and looked over at Alec, his worry clear as day on his face and his voice a soft murmur. "Are you alright, Alec-sama...?"</p><p>"We'll talk later."</p><p>A chill ran through Felix's spine and it was no doubt a byproduct of the bite from Alec's words. Although he was now entirely <em>certain</em> that something had occurred before Alec entered the locker room, he was still confused and completely in the dark. The only thing of scant assurance was that they would talk about it later, but it still lingered in the back of his mind even as he threw about jokes and laughs at the cafeteria table that evening.</p><p>Felix pointedly noticed that Alec hadn't sat across from him like he regularly did. Instead he sat two seats away on the other side of the table, engaging in light conversations and indulging the table with a few glints of a (fake but) courtly smile here and there. While Felix was grateful that Alec took the initiative to strike up conversations with others, he couldn't be entirely satisfied with the progress made given the circumstances at hand, which included the growing distance between them.</p><p>He could also tell that Alec was going out of his way to avoid eye contact with him. Whenever Felix would make it a point to linger his eyes over at Alec's direction for a few seconds longer than cursory, someone at the table would notice and call out to Alec in his stead. Alec would then look up and turn his attention to the one that had called out to him, but never directly at Felix when they would say that Felix wanted his attention. He would then make some uncharacteristically flamboyant quip that garnered him a few laughs before resuming to ignore Felix's presence.</p><p>Felix wasn't angry at the blatant snub. He was saddened by it, and it stung somewhere within the confines of his heart.</p>
<hr/><p>Although each step closer to their room was heavier than the one before it, there was something comforting about the open expanse of the corridor as they made their way back, Felix thought. He was acutely aware of the fact that once they were shut out from the rest of the world, the tension between them would expand to fill the nooks and crannies of their enclosed room and swallow him up whole. He cherished every second before the inevitable would arrive, as timid as that sounded.</p><p>Alec opened the door for him and stepped aside, gesturing for Felix to enter first with a cock of his head. Deciding it was not the time to insist that Alec go in ahead of him, Felix took a few steps into the room and promptly turned so he could face Alec head on.</p><p>As he had expected, once the door was shut and the outside world was lost to them, Alec delved straight into addressing the massive elephant in the room.</p><p>"What am I to you, Felix?"</p><p>The secretive nature of Alec's displeasure that evening made for a collection of creative theories in Felix's mind as to the reason for his blond friend's sour mood. However, despite the variety of Felix's speculations, Alec's words still came as a surprise to him.</p><p>"What do you..." Felix trailed off and his expression gave away the confusion he was now experiencing. Slowly the gears started turning in his head, and then it hit him. "Wait, did you—"</p><p>"I did." Alec nodded. He didn't need to explicitly state what it was that he was agreeing to; they both knew they were on the same page and that's all that mattered. "And it— And I—"</p><p>Alec had started off strong at first but began to falter, his eyebrows scrunching up together in frustration as the cogs in his mind scrambled to find the right words to express himself. A herculean task, since he was still disoriented by the abstract emotions shifting along the spectrum between distress and dejection. He raised a hand in request for some time to think, and Felix waited patiently in held breath for Alec to speak again.</p><p>Soon enough, the blond-haired teen pierced through the quiet with his signature unwavering spirit. "If you're only friends with me because you feel as though you're under <em>any</em> obligation to be so, then I hereby release you from your post. I considered you a <em>true</em> friend, a <em>real</em> friend of mine, but if the feeling is not mutual then please tell me now because I don't want to force you into anything you do not want."</p><p>The use of past tense glared brightly in the front of Felix's consciousness but he had no time to waste on harping on that. Instead he quickly forced out the first thing that came to mind, and the panic within spilled out into his voice. "Of course the feeling is mutual! You're my closest friend, you're my best friend, how could you—"</p><p>He stopped himself from speaking any further, knowing that if he continued on he would simply blunder more than he already had and once again rush out whatever words were at the forefront of his mind, the soundness and the sensibility of it all be damned.</p><p>Felix inhaled deeply to center himself and ignored the racing of his heart—his nerves could wait for later. "Alec-sa—" He cut himself off—no, that wasn't what he wanted to say, he was rushing into things again.</p><p>Lips pursed together briefly, Felix took a few steps closer to Alec before starting again. "...Alec. Alexander. It <em>is</em> a fact that you are the kaiser, as much as you hate it whenever I say so. But please, believe me when I say that if you weren't the kaiser, if you were just—"</p><p>He hissed through gritted teeth in full annoyance at himself. Where was he going with this? What was it that he wanted to get across to Alec, what did he want to say?</p><p>Speculating that perhaps he was being a tad too calculating and putting more thought into it than he should, Felix this time around relied on the sincerity of his conviction and the honesty of his heart. If that didn't work, he'd cross that bridge when he got there. "No one understands me as well as you do, Alec-sama. You say that I have a lot of friends and sure, I get along with them just <em>fine</em> and we can talk, but I can never talk with them the same way I can with you. You just... you <em>get</em> me in a way no one else can, and I truly do treasure my friendship with you. Because I could—"</p><p>He was usually more eloquent than this, more skilled at putting words together and formulating sentences that best conveyed whatever it was that he wanted conveyed. However it seemed that the fear of losing his friend incapacitated his mind, and prevented him from functioning at his most optimum.</p><p>Felix then finally, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, took a closer look at Alec. The one on the receiving end of his ramblings seemed responsive to his display of vulnerability and he could see the edges of Alec's features soften, the dark aura that previously surrounded him gradually dissipating and the blue of his eyes slowly returning.</p><p>Perhaps that was what Felix needed to see, confirmation that his almost desperate efforts at saving what he might have broken between them were not all for naught. The tension within him that had managed to grab hold of his shoulders began to loosen and Felix could tell Alec spotted the change within him, and also that Felix had come to realise the change within his best friend.</p><p>He still couldn't find it within himself to put on a smile from the bottom of his heart, but his lips curled up anyways and the nerves in his voice mellowed down into a gentle murmur. "We could be lounging about, doing our own things, and I'd feel a hundred percent comfortable with you. I could never do that with anyone else, I always felt the need to fill the silence in some way or the need to do something together. But not with you. You feel like family to me, Alec-sama, and I'm sorry that I— I'm sorry that I feel the need to address you formally. I'm sorry if that makes you feel as though I don't think of you as a friend because truth be told, you're not just a friend to me. You're much more than that and I can't imagine living my life without you, so please. Believe me."</p><p>That final stretch managed to completely thaw the ice of Alec's psyche and the young monarch finally flashed a genuine smile, one without the veils of nobility or the shadow of pretences. One that only few were privy to witnessing, and Felix was truly glad to still be among those ranks.</p><p>"Okay." Alec nodded, still smiling. "I believe you. I'm sorry for getting so upset."</p><p>"No, I'm sorry for perhaps not saying all of this sooner," Felix said as he shook his head.</p><p>Now that the matter was nearing resolution, what came after the disclosure of his vulnerability was its consequence in the form of teenage embarrassment. Felix covered his face with his hands and let out a small whine. "I mean, we're <em>guys</em>, right? We don't really... we don't really talk about things like this, it's embarrassing."</p><p>"It kind of is, yes," Alec admitted with a sheepish smile. "But at least we have this cleared up now so we don't have to bring it up again in the future. However... Is it now my turn to proclaim my dedication to our friendship?"</p><p>Felix whined louder and swatted at the air with a hand. "Please don't tease me like that, Alec-sama! Your feelings on the matter are perfectly clear, I can assure you of that!"</p><p>"They might be clear to you, but are they properly <em>conveyed</em> to you? It really is not too much trouble, it's still rather early—"</p><p>"Stop it!"</p><p>Felix groaned and reached out to give Alec's arm a firm whack, earning a hearty laugh from the attacked victim. Alec retaliated by returning the favour with a whack of his own and it was not long before the exchange escalated into an amicable round of roughhousing between the two reconciled comrades.</p><p>With the riff between them instantly forgotten, the first ever argument between the young monarch and his best friend was resolutely concluded.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I actually already have an entire outline written out for this fic (hence why there's a number of total chapters already) but things are starting to deviate from the initial plan and I'm planning to add in a darker element to the narrative I hadn't originally planned so pardon the potential inconsistencies if the tone from the earlier chapters seem different from the upcoming ones. I'm by no means a professional writer of any sort, this is really me just fooling around, but I hope people still stick around!</p><p>(Also hi Matchas, I hate you for all the images you plopped into my head on Alec and Felix)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter V</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Felix makes a new friend, and Alec decides that he doesn't like puberty.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For the boys, the third year at the military academy marked the transition from boyhood to a closer semblance of manhood. Shorts were cast aside and exchanged for fitted dress pants that (hopefully) hugged toned limbs achieved from vigorous training. Such was most certainly the case for Felix Mittermeyer, who had experienced a growth spurt some time before the start of the winter break; he now stood to be as tall as his father Prime Marshal Mittermeyer, and for a short period of time was taller than his best friend Kaiser Alec von Lohengramm.</p><p>It was needless to say that Felix was then subjected to the experience of growing pains, which were honestly much more of a nuisance than when his voice started to break around the same time. He was grateful that the bulk of the inconvenience occurred during the school break when most (including him and Alec) chose to go back to their homes. He couldn't imagine having to answer teacher's questions or talking to his friends on a daily while his voice was croaking and adjusting to the new transformation.</p><p>Alec was less fortunate in that regard. After also experiencing a growth spurt that pulled him right back up to the same height as Felix, his voice began to break weeks after the start of the academic year. The teachers of course showed consideration and asked for Felix to read out Alec's answers in his stead, and their circle of friends were accommodating of his decrease in participation (though Alec never spoke as much as Felix did to begin with).</p><p>It was the first Friday of the academic year, 20 March SE 815, when the student council held their first meeting of the year to get the current members and new members formally acquainted. The batch of new members that year included Felix, after he was personally recommended by the current vice president, and another student in his year named Dominik von Weissweide. Although it was only then that they had gotten properly acquainted with one another, Felix had heard of Dominik already before then. If anything, it was harder not to hear of him, for a multitude of reasons.</p><p>In the similar fashion Alec had accused of him before, Dominik pulled one and all towards him, so much that it was truly a miracle they hadn't gotten to know one another before then despite the overlaps in their social circles. He was a good friend to many, and even much more than that to a select few; it was the talk of their cohort when news circulated of the relationship between Dominik and Felix's first ever girlfriend Yuliya, and the same occurred again once that relationship came to an end. At the time, although Felix had to admit to some curiosity on his part, he was already in another relationship by then and it was perhaps due to that reason he bore no ill will towards Dominik. He still found it weird, though, that he was now talking to someone who he shared mutual exes with.</p><p>It appeared the feeling wasn't mutual, however. Either that or Dominik simply chose not to let it get to him, for he was nothing but pleasant and genuinely engaged in their conversation after the meeting was adjourned and they were all dismissed.</p><p>"Felix, right? Felix Mittermeyer?" As he slung his bag over his shoulder, Dominik placed on a welcoming smile that easily dissipated Felix's reservations. Though on the contrary, it made Felix feel a little pathetic for letting their shared history get to him, even if merely in the slightest. "Prime Marshal Mittermeyer's son?"</p><p>Felix noted the association that Dominik chose to be his marker. He didn't refer to Felix as the kaiser's close friend, but his father's son. A little detail that perhaps Dominik himself hadn't put much thought into, but a little detail Felix appreciated nevertheless; it did better for what little pride Felix allowed himself to have that he was associated with his father rather than be placed once again in the shadows of his best friend.</p><p>The brown-haired teen nodded with a small smile as he slipped his arms through the straps of his backpack and tried to shake off as much of his nerves as he could. "Yea. And you're Dominik, right? Dominik von... Weissweide?"</p><p>The Weissweide family was a wealthy merchant family that ran their own conglomerate company consisting of various brands. This included their own brand of wines that, incidentally enough according to his father, was a favourite of his biological father's. Dominik was the third son of that prestigious family's main branch, as well as the second cousin of Emilia von Steiermark.</p><p>If his lineage and connections weren't enough cause for envy, the charismatic young male had many admirers consisting of students in their year and younger, though Felix would every now and then hear rumours of upperclassmen sharing the same sentiment. He couldn't blame them, truth be told. Although Felix didn't find tall heights particularly desirable, Dominik was already a head taller than him even if Felix was by no means of meagre stature. Taking into account that they were still under the merciful hands of puberty, there was the possibility that even if both of them grew even taller Dominik would still take the lead. Which would most certainly be a considerable feat.</p><p>Another cause for admiration was his conventionally handsome facial features. There were many who've compared Dominik's attractiveness to that of his best friend Alec's, however it was possibly with a tinge of bias that Felix found the competition to be unmatched. How people could compare <em>anyone</em> to Alec in that arena was beyond him; in his opinion, the only two that could fall within that realm of near deity-like attractiveness were Alec's aunt Princess Annerose von Grünewald and Kaiserin Hilda.</p><p>Still, Felix couldn't deny that Dominik truly was a sight to behold. The platinum blond-haired boy's smile grew into a teeth-baring grin upon hearing that Felix recognised him, and his voice took on a playfully grand tone. "It seems my reputation precedes me. A true honour indeed, if even the great Felix Mittermeyer has heard of me."</p><p>"What are you talking about?" Felix chuckled as they left the student council room and walked down the corridor. "You're far greater than I am."</p><p>The blond teen cocked an eyebrow and his lips turned upwards at the end to form an almost devilish smirk. "What if I told you that I only complimented you so you'd say that?"</p><p>Felix let out another chuckle and gave Dominik's shoulder a light swat. A small voice in his conscience reprimanded him for his potential impudence; they had just met, mutual friends notwithstanding, and some would find the imposing sense of familiarity a scant too close to overbearing. But it appeared as though the other party didn't mind it and if anything, was the one who started it all.</p><p>He replied back with the same mischievous energy Dominik exuded. "Then I take back my humility, I <em>am</em> far greater than you are."</p><p>Dominik broke into a light laugh that transitioned into a hearty greeting the moment they bumped into a mutual acquaintance. The three exchanged a few words and a couple of waves before Dominik turned his full attention back to Felix, his fringe falling forward and veiling his left eye. "I'm sorry. Promise that was a joke. I joined the student council on a whim while you were explicitly listed down, I heard?"</p><p>"Ah, yea." Felix smiled sheepishly. Although he liked praise and the occasional acknowledgement of his accomplishments as much as the next guy, he still found it a tad bit embarrassing whenever that praise was from his peers. "But you make it sound like it's an easy feat to get into the student council. You have to be approved to get in, right?"</p><p>Dominik shrugged and threaded his fingers through his pair, pushing his fringe back out of the way. It was only then that Felix came to notice that he had the same short hair as Alec did, though Alec's hair was more of like loose curls whereas Dominik's resembled gentle waves. Not to mention that Alec's hair was a regal shade of gold, while Dominik's was a pale, almost white, yellow.</p><p>"Apparently so? One of my seniors in the archery club— I don't know if you noticed her earlier, she was the one at the back with the red hair? Tied up in a ponytail?" Dominik used a hand to make the appropriate gestures and Felix found it within himself, despite his initial surprise at Dominik's club affiliation, to nod in response.</p><p>If Dominik had noticed that his brown-haired companion was momentarily stunned, he chose to ignore it in favour of finishing what he had to say. "Yea, so she told me last year that she put my name up for consideration and when my teacher told me I was accepted, I just went with it. Thought it wouldn't look too bad in my records, surely my father would be pleased."</p><p>With the ball back on his court, Felix blinked up at Dominik rather doltishly. "You're in the archery club?" That was unexpected, Felix thought to himself, though his incredulity was audible in his voice.</p><p>Dominik had broad shoulders and muscular limbs that Felix could never achieve for himself, try as he might. Not that Dominik was by any means bulky; his lean muscles were aesthetically proportionate to his frame, which made Felix all the more envious of that level of almost mathematical perfection. Nonetheless, it was not usually the physique that would inspire one to immediately think of archery. Though Felix had to confess, he had little to no knowledge on the sport.</p><p>Domink gazed down at Felix with a raised eyebrow. "You just thought that you didn't expect that, didn't you?"</p><p>Felix flinched slightly at the realisation of his blunder and opened his mouth to speak, but Dominik gave the impression that he took no offence to Felix's mild disbelief, if the blond-haired teen's grin and dismissive wave of the hand was anything to go by. "It's fine, I get that a lot. I don't know why though, I think archery's pretty therapeutic. It's great to help clear your mind and sharpen your focus."</p><p>Felix smiled sheepishly again and spoke with a little more hesitation than he had thus far, though by no means did he suddenly turn bashful as a result of his mistake. "Sorry, I just thought you'd be in... I don't know, the basketball club? Maybe football?"</p><p>Dominik furrowed his eyebrows at Felix, clearly confused by why Felix would have such an assumption, but soon enough he found the missing pieces to the puzzle and he let out a knowing hum. "Because of my body? Well I <em>do</em> play basketball every now and then, football too. But who doesn't? Don't you?"</p><p>Felix shook his head and smiled more as they turned at a corner. "I don't really play basketball, no. I sometimes play football with my friends, though. I like keeping my legs nimble and agile."</p><p>That seemed to elicit another round of confusion for Dominik, and so he probed for more information. "But you're not in the football club...?"</p><p>"Ah, no." Felix shook his head again and clarified. "I'm in the fencing club."</p><p>A light bulb flashed on in Dominik's mind and the fog of his confusion immediately dissipated. "Ohh, I see. Fencing, huh. That's pretty neat."</p><p>They eventually reached the campus courtyard and when Dominik slowed down his pace to a complete halt, Felix followed suit. Dominik then spoke up again. "So you'll probably be on duty next Saturday too, right?"</p><p>Felix sighed. He almost forgot that he was picked to be stationed at the fencing club's booth that year for the annual club display. "Yup, all day. You?"</p><p>"Same here. Maybe I'll see you then?" Dominik offered before pointing towards the opposite direction of the male dorms. "I'm meeting a few friends first before dinner so I'm going this way."</p><p>"Oh, okay." Felix nodded right before his lips curled up into a grin. "I'm glad we finally got to talk, even though we've known each other for a while now."</p><p>"I know, right?" Dominik chuckled lightly. "I thought it would be a little awkward since we both dated Yuliya but you're a cool guy. I like you."</p><p>The sudden reminder of their interwoven romantic history was one that came out of nowhere and, in the midst of their jovial conversation, almost felt out of place. He had almost forgotten about the little detail that kept him from initiating a conversation with Dominik, and he hadn't before that moment realised it had been entirely swept away and hidden from view by the affability of Dominik's friendly warmth.</p><p>Felix couldn't help but smile and reply back sincerely. "I thought so too. And I'm glad that we talked, because you're pretty cool too."</p><p>"Careful now, that could get to my head." Dominik tutted before smiling amiably once more. "Okay, see you next Saturday."</p><p>He gave Felix's shoulder a friendly pat before heading for the direction he previously gestured towards. Once they had parted ways, Felix turned on his heels and made his way back to the male dorms. All the while consumed with the delight of forming a new friendship.</p>
<hr/><p>28 March was a tiring day. Not only did Felix have to wake up early and aid in the preparations for the fencing club's booth, but he also had to fend off attacks from newly admitted first years who thought it was their right to examine his uniform with their own bare hands.</p><p>An hour or so after the event commenced, a crowd gradually began to pull in at about a five meter radius surrounding their booth. Dressed for the club display in his fencing uniform and with his helmet tucked underneath his arm, he had anticipated some degree of interest directed his way from his position stood right beside their booth's table. It helped as well that he wasn't all alone at the booth, with three of his seniors sat behind the table at the ready to answer any questions potential new recruits could have.</p><p>All of the gawking, he could stomach. It was when the stares turned into misleading strokes of the fabric at his arm that he felt a uncomfortable sensation in his stomach. No, perhaps it was when they started asking unrelated questions, ones that were nowhere near the ballpark of fencing.</p><p>"Do you have a girlfriend?" One of the girls courageously asked and Felix tried his best to keep hidden from his face the discomfort that began to bubble within him. During the phase of puberty, an age difference of no more than 2 years was more significant than it appeared, and receiving such a direct question from someone he saw was no different from a child was not something he was at all prepared for that day.</p><p>Ignoring the snickers from his three seniors who were unmistakably enjoying the episode unfold, Felix schooled on a gentle smile and replied as politely as he could. "I'm sorry, but I just broke up with my girlfriend and I want to focus on school."</p><p>It wasn't a <em>complete</em> lie. Felix and his girlfriend, a dark-haired girl named Daniela, <em>did</em> break up about midway into the winter break. But his desire to focus <em>solely</em> on his grades was a fallacy and merely a ruse to hopefully dissuade the group of girls that now formed a shield preventing interested parties from perusing their booth.</p><p>Alas, Felix's attempt at deterrence was met with a chorus of disbelieving shrieks that were a repetitive mixture of "of course you do" and "life is too short". He found the latter peculiar to hear from girls who were <em>younger</em> than him, but he hadn't a clue what he could say that would have been an effective counterargument. His club mates clearly had no intention of coming to his rescue either, seemingly too focused on relishing in his plight to offer any sort of support.</p><p>But then, the clouds parted and as though the gods had answered his mental cry for help, a voice suddenly boomed from behind him and Felix instantly turned to look at his saviour.</p><p>"I'm sorry girls, but the big boys here are actually going on a date tomorrow. He was just being nice, so how about you all run along and maybe find some boys that're actually your age, hmm?"</p><p>It was Dominik.</p><p>Felix found his words a touch too insolent for his taste, but the results were immediate. As soon as Dominik swooped in and wrapped an arm around Felix's shoulders, the girls tugged at each other's sleeves and scurried off in their pack away from the booth.</p><p>Upon their disappearance Dominik broke into a laugh his seniors were quick to join in on and the convulsions swayed them both forward. Felix too couldn't help but throw out a few chuckles, feeling his muscles loosen and his nerves gradually relaxing.</p><p>Soon enough, Dominik turned his head back to throw a jest over at the three that sat at the table. "Was he chosen to help attract people to your both? That's so unfair, we don't have a Felix Mittermeyer in the archery club!"</p><p>"Don't speak of me like I'm some merchandise on display."</p><p>"You have to play with all the cards at your disposal." One of the fencing club seniors was shameless in her quip and the four of them (Felix not included) bonded over another round of laughter.</p><p>Once Dominik recalled the purpose of his visit to the fencing club's booth, he squeezed Felix's shoulder firmly and leaned in to murmur softly close to his ear. "Sorry about that. I wanted to talk to you but it didn't seem like they were leaving any time soon. And you didn't seem to like it, so I just..."</p><p>Felix shook his head and pulled away slightly from Dominik's side embrace so he could gaze up at him properly. "You were right so it's completely fine, thank you for helping me. And? What did you want to talk about?"</p><p>As though Felix had just said something ridiculous, Dominik's eyebrows knitted and he spoke incredulously. "Nothing, I just wanted to talk to you. Is that bad?"</p><p>Felix laughed and he reached forward to lightly swat at Dominik's left shoulder. At the time a name couldn't come to mind, but his new blond friend reminded him of someone else he knew exceptionally well and Felix was amused by the familiarity of Dominik's diction. "Of course it's not bad, but shouldn't you be at your club's booth?"</p><p>"We're taking shifts so now I'm free until lunch," Dominik began as he finally pulled away and shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants. "And as I was walking around, I remembered you were in the fencing club. I don't have any other friends in your club so I got curious."</p><p>Felix found that hard to believe. "You? <em>Really</em>? You don't know anyone else in my club?"</p><p>Dominik tilted his head to the side and spoke in a tone hinting at something Felix couldn't quite make out. "Or maybe I do and I just wanted an excuse to talk to you."</p><p>Confusion knitted Felix's eyebrows closer together but despite that, Felix still responded cordially. "Well, you're talking to me now so consider your mission accomplished."</p><p>With the dust from the earlier irksome episode completely settled, it was only then that Felix got the chance to take a full look at Dominik's attire. "Is that what you wear to matches?" he asked.</p><p>"Ah, kind of." Dominik looked down at his ensemble, which consisted of a varsity jacket with the academy's emblem sewn over the heart and a pair of dark fitted pants with lines of white down the sides. "I'm wearing the shirt underneath. It's just so fricking cold that they let us wear our jackets. How about yours? Your uniform seems insulating enough, no? And it really suits you, by the way."</p><p>"Oh, thanks. And it definitely is." Felix smiled a little pathetically. "Which is also why we have to train in air-conditioned or cool places when it's hot."</p><p>"I can totally see why. I'd say I'm jealous but you can have it, my friend." Dominik gave a small bow of his head before chuckling. "Ours is just a shirt and pants. Or even shorts, they let us choose— But we can talk about that another time. Are you planning to eat lunch with anyone?"</p><p>Felix was thrown aback by the sudden change in topic and quite frankly, the mental whiplash of it all was yet another all too familiar a sensation for him. He didn't have much time to harp on the thought any longer, however, and he quickly racked his brain for an answer. "No, not yet, we haven't really talked about lunch."</p><p>"Then let's eat together!" Dominik immediately cheered with an enthusiasm that was a stark contrast to the chill of the weather. "It's almost lunch time anyways, I'm sure they can let you off now."</p><p>"I don't know..." Felix trailed off and briefly pursed his lips together. "Another senior was supposed to take over me during lunch, but he hasn't arrived yet."</p><p>"I'm sure it'll be fine~" Dominik assured Felix as he turned around to face the three at the table. "Is it cool if he goes for lunch with me now? We'll buy you drinks after lunch, what would you want?"</p><p>Dominik spoke to Felix's seniors in all casuals as though he'd been friends with them for far longer than he's actually known them, and for a brief moment a fear took over Felix's body as he imagined them reprimanding them both for Dominik's unearned informality and Felix's impudence. Much to his surprise, they thought nothing of Dominik's borderline presumptuous demeanor and Felix's worries were promptly shoved out of the way.</p><p>"Hmm, just get me any of the sports drinks they have," one of the three replied back absentmindedly as he adjusted one of the stands on the table.</p><p>"Oh, me too," another chimed in.</p><p>"Me three!" the last announced.</p><p>"It was a pleasure doing business with you, ladies and gentleman." Dominik bowed with a flourish. "We'll see you again later."</p><p>With that being said, Dominik swiftly took hold of Felix's helmet and placed it down onto an empty space on the table before grabbing Felix's wrist and tugging him away from the booth.</p><p>"We'll leave his helmet there! Thanks!" Dominik threw back at them as the two made their exit.</p><p>At some point Felix expressed the makings of a protest, but everything had unfolded with a speed to envy and he found himself at a loss for not only words but also on what to make of the entire situation. With not many options at his disposal, he decided to give in and let himself be swept away by the tidal wave that was Dominik von Weissweide.</p>
<hr/><p>That evening, after having finished the bulk of the homework assigned to them, Alec was sat on his bed with his back against the wall, his legs outstretched in front of him and a book in hand that he'd been tasked to read by his tutor. When Felix returned back to their dorm with a tired sigh, Alec allowed himself a momentary break from his book to glance up and snicker softly at the sight of his best friend all drained of life.</p><p>"How was the club display?" Alec still had the cheek to ask even though he already had an inkling as to how Felix would respond.</p><p>His roommate didn't betray his expectations. "It was tiring," the brown-haired teenager groaned as he dragged his legs over to his side of the room. "More so mentally than physically. I like being around people and engaging in conversations, but everyone has a limit."</p><p>Alec winced at the unpleasant mental picture Felix had unknowingly painted in his mind; huddles of people as far as the eye could see, and energy levels on high with boisterous laughter and equally deafening cheers. He remembered the first time they all went to the club display in their first year, and how he had resolutely decided it would be his last—even from the comfort of their room, Alec could hear the distant cries of rowdy teenage boys utilising their bountiful youth to entice future club members, yet at the same time letting slip from their minds the true agenda of their mission in favour of clowning about with one another.</p><p>Alec hissed quietly to himself and directed his attention back to his book. "I could hear everyone screaming from all the way here," he mumbled a little absentmindedly and flipped to the next page. "I'm glad I didn't go."</p><p>"You should have gone, Alec-sama!" Alec was a little startled by the unmistakable fervour in Felix's voice, despite his brown-haired friend's previously lethargic state, but he kept his eyes focused on the words in his book. "Damian and Eugen said they had fun just walking around and seeing all the booths. They don't have clubs too, yes?"</p><p>Alec let out a grunt in acknowledgement. Damian and Eugen were two of the members in their social circle who Alec developed a level of affinity with, no doubt as a result of their lack of affiliation to any clubs. Whenever Alec was free after school but the rest of their friends had other engagements to attend to, the three of them would either head to the basketball court or lounge about in the room Alec shared with Felix (because it was significantly larger than the standard dorm rooms, their clique had deemed it their default hang out space whenever other locations were unavailable).</p><p>"I don't think anything there would have interested—" Alec began to speak right before he titled his head up to glance over at Felix, but once he caught sight of his best friend the rest of his words got stuck within his throat and all that escaped was a sharp noise.</p><p>There Felix stood, in front of his opened wardrobe, in nothing but his boxer briefs. For Alec to bare witness to his unclad, basically naked form.</p><p>The blond teenager was now a temple of contradictions. His body instantly froze and yet, his heartbeat was anything but stationary. A series of frantic thumps against the hollows of his chest that strove to get bodily functions up and running again as per normal. His mind was devoid of words he could possibly murmur with what little voice he could muster, and yet was also a whirlwind of various thoughts and countless expressions. His hands felt numb like ice against the warm fibres of his book's page, and yet his cheeks were alive with the crimson red of his embarrassment.</p><p>Alec couldn't recall for the life of him the last time he had seen Felix's unclothed state to this degree, and surely he didn't lack in opportunity in the past two years given their current living arrangement. However, he was certain that not once did he experience <em>this</em> visceral of a reaction until today. He stared, no, <em>gawked</em> at the expanse of slender arm muscles that flexed and relaxed as Felix combed through his clothes, the hair touching his shoulders falling forward to expose the slightly tanned nape of his neck. Alec's eyes momentarily fixated on the stretch of Felix's shoulders before they found themselves tracing the curve of his spine all the way down to the dip of his back, completely mesmerised by the elegance of the older boy's athletic physique. The blood under Alec's skin thrummed as it made its journey down his torso to pool around the area between his legs, and Alec soon became hyper aware of a certain appendage that rose to attention. A sensation he was unfamiliar with gnawed at the depths of his stomach and chipped away at whatever rational forethought was left amidst the chaos of his incessant hormones.</p><p>Despite his brain's inability to function as required, or perhaps as a result of its lapse in capabilities, Alec's body took it upon itself to take on a mind of its own and forced out a cough before promptly turning his head up to face the ceiling— no, the wall to the right— no, back down to the book that had at some point fallen onto his lap. Yes, he settled on that and decided that he could make use of the book to hide from view the telling of his plight at present.</p><p>"Hurry up and put on some clothes, you'll catch a cold." How that was him speaking, with some semblance of stability in his attempt to misdirect with a concerned chiding, was beyond the grasp of Alec's current psyche that was in a complete disarray.</p><p>"Yes, yes~" Felix replied back and soon after decided on some clothes, which according to Alec's head space seemed to take an eternity to accomplish. "I think I'll go take a shower first though."</p><p>"Y-Yea, sure." The thought that Felix would remain in that state for longer, albeit with a door and walls separating them both, brought forth the surfacing of Alec's nerves and the fluke of his calmness from before was quickly dashed away.</p><p>It seemed unbeknown to Felix, however, who paid no heed to his best friend's uncharacteristic stammer and merely grabbed hold of the clothes he discarded onto his bed, bringing them to the bathroom with him along with his change of clothes. Once the bathroom door was shut and the sound of the shower running fought against the still erratic beat of his heart, Alec allowed himself the relief of a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair.</p><p>He'd have to take care of his predicament somehow but his mind still refused to cooperate. Puberty was a terrifying demon, Alec thought to himself. Little did he know that puberty was not all to blame in this instance.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Apologies that most of this chapter was focused on an original character! I promise that I will try my best to direct as much of his appearance time to a little companion fic I'm planning to write on the side, for people who are curious on what will happen or has happened behind the scenes and can stomach more... 'dark' (?) subject matter?</p><p>Also in case people wanted to know, I've been trying to write as close to 5k words as possible for each chapter and this is the chapter that's come the closest so far. Pats self on shoulder I guess!</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter VI</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alec decides that he's also not too fond of Dominik, and perhaps for good reason.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Weeks pass and soon enough, the temperature mellows down into a comfortable enough range where the students at the academy could choose to keep their blazers away and store them for the return of winter at the end of the year. Nevertheless, the ghost of winter still lingered about and some opted to switch out their blazers for more breathable sweater vests that proudly displayed the academy's emblem over their heart. Felix was in the midst of smoothing down his sweater vest as he slowly made his way over to a particular classroom right after school ended.</p><p>The student council had arranged a meeting that Monday afternoon and Felix saw no reason not to ask Dominik if they could head over to the student council room together. The brown-haired teenager kept justifying to himself that it was a mere coincidence that the girl Felix had developed a level of interest for in the past few weeks just so <em>happened</em> to be in the same class as Dominik. Despite the fact that he knew full well the possibility of catching even a brief glimpse of her surely encouraged the suggestion in his head and nudged his feet to move forward before his brain could give them the signal to act upon the inclination.</p><p>When Felix reached their classroom, he remained at the door and peeped inside to instinctively search for Anastasiya (and not for Dominik, like he 'originally' intended). He spotted her auburn hair (perhaps he had a type) soon enough and found her conveniently sat on (yes, on) the table right beside Dominik's, facing him in the same fashion the rest of the group that pooled around him also did. On no account would Felix ever be surprised by the small (and at times more sizeable) crowd that always managed to gravitate towards Dominik; it was something Felix had acknowledged about the taller male the moment they officially met, his compelling magnetism and expertise at networking.</p><p>One of Dominik and Felix's mutual friends was (another) blond-haired boy named Viktor, who was not only the one who got Anastasiya and Felix acquainted, but was also the first to spot the brown-haired teen stood at the door. He merrily invited Felix into the classroom and waved him over.</p><p>"Felix! What's up? Come in, come in!" His voice darted across the room, displaying a blatant lack of care for the rest of the students who were still lingering around.</p><p>It appeared that their classmates were all by now accustomed to the vigour that most within Dominik's close circle friends tended—or needed—to possess, but despite that Dominik still shoved at Viktor and poked at him for it with a light chuckle. "You're so noisy!"</p><p>Felix smiled at the exchange as he stepped into the room and walked over them, all the while demanding for his heart to beat at a more regular speed in the face of his current crush. He greeted Anastasiya with a warm smile and a small wave which, of course, was cause for a symphony of whistles and suggestive cheers, according to the manual of proper camaraderie decorum. He shoved at Viktor the same way Dominik previously did and gave Damian, another mutual friend of theirs, a smack on the shoulder. His eyes subtly drifted to catch the uncomfortable scrunch of Anastasiya's facial features, however was all too occupied by the entire incident he was presently enveloped in to notice the absence in participation of Dominik and another party in the group with regards to the mission of eliciting as much embarrassment from the potential couple as possible.</p><p>It was only when Dominik spoke up that Felix turned his attention towards him, and he was grateful for Dominik's thoughtful consideration in changing the topic at hand.</p><p>"What's up? You going for the meeting now?" Dominik asked in a tone that gave nothing away alluding to the current state of his inner world. If anything he took on a gentle voice, or at least thus was how Felix perceived it, and the kind smile on his face further backed Felix's belief.</p><p>Felix nodded and gestured to the door with a tilt of his head. "Yea, I wanted to ask if you wanted to go together."</p><p>Dominik's smile grew wider and he kept away the last of his belongings. "Sure, sure. Could we run to the cafeteria to grab a small bite of something? We don't know how long the meeting will last for, right? I'm kind of hungry."</p><p>Felix easily agreed with a grin. "I'm hungry too so no complaints here."</p><p>"Okay then, let's go." Dominik stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder.</p><p>After he tucked away his chair, Dominik threw Anastasiya a look and accompanied it with a light-hearted tease. "Sorry, we'll be stealing him for a little bit."</p><p>"Dominik!" Felix felt the redness that had previously begun its retreat instantly come back to haunt him, and everyone joined in on the invitation to poke more fun at Felix in merry laughter.</p><p>He cast a quick glance over at Anastasiya but aside from that, his heightened chagrin kept him from looking her directly in the eye. Instead he focused on hushing everyone down and encouraging them to stop the teasing, entirely unaware of the slight look of trepidation on Anastasiya's supposed sheepish expression and Dominik's continued glance her way.</p><p>Eventually, however, Felix turned to face Anastasiya with a bashful smile and he murmured gently. "I'll message you later, okay?"</p><p>As Dominik seemed penchant to do, after allowing Anastasiya to respond with a nod and a controlled smile, the taller male wasted no time in swooping in and grabbing hold of Felix's wrist. "Okay, we really got to get going now or else we'll be late. I'll catch you guys later!"</p><p>Felix let out a sharp yelp but managed to turn his head and throw a quick wave goodbye to Anastasiya, before Dominik dragged him out of the room and they disappeared into the hallway.</p>
<hr/><p>On the days Felix would be <s>stolen from him</s> kept occupied by fencing training, the blond monarch would either be in the company of the rest of their friend circle who had no other engagements like himself that day, or spend a few hours to himself in the library. On this particular day, about two weeks after that one student council meeting Felix mentioned to him before, Alec had chosen the latter and a few minutes after his brown-haired friend left the classroom to head for the fencing club's room, he had all of his effects kept back into his bag and he got up to leave as well.</p><p>He walked down the hallway and shortly after taking a few steps away from the classroom, his eyes caught the sight of an unfamiliar person clearly running towards him just a distance ahead.</p><p>"Your majesty!" The stranger called out to him and upon reaching Alec's position came to a halt in soft pants. "Have you seen Felix? Is he still in the classroom?"</p><p>Alec was unable to make an educated guess as to how this blond-haired boy could be affiliated with Felix; his significantly more extroverted roommate made friends (and more) aplenty, and he stopped questioning how Felix could get to know a friend of a friend's enough to call them an acquaintance of his own. It was safe to assume that this was simply another one of those cases, he thought, where Felix once again knew yet another person who he was completely in the dark about.</p><p>Alec shook his head. "He went for fencing training."</p><p>"Dang, I missed him. No matter. Your majesty, could you please ask Felix to fill this up and pass it back to me by the end of this week?" Upon first glance, Alec had noticed the piece of paper the blond stranger had in his hands as he approached him, however it was only then that Alec came to know of its purpose.</p><p>Alec gave one firm nod and took the piece of paper held out for him. "Okay."</p><p>Deeming the transaction to be over and dealt with, Alec had taken a step to the side with the full intention of continuing his journey towards the library. The other had other plans, it seemed, and quickly shifted to block Alec from proceeding forward. Although not in any way offended by the action, Alec <em>was</em> a little confused and he looked up at the taller male with an expression that said as much.</p><p>"Uhhh, hi. It's a pleasure to meet you, your majesty. My name is Dominik von Weissweide." The stranger, now known to be Dominik, introduced himself and stretched a hand out for Alec to take. "I'm in the student council with Felix."</p><p>Alec glanced down at the hand offered to him. He couldn't entirely comprehend why Dominik felt the need to introduce himself, since Alec was under the assumption that they wouldn't have need of being in contact with one another after this. He knew that some of his friends were acquainted with Dominik and that they ran in the same circles, but two years had already passed without the need of formally acknowledging one another; he saw no dire need to change the circumstances at the present time.</p><p>Nevertheless, he had been taught to master the art of diplomacy many years ago, and decided to make use of that skill and respond to the gesture with the same level of courtesy. He took hold of Dominik's hand and gave it a firm shake, but didn't linger for a second longer than necessary and released his hand soon after.</p><p>"I'm Alexander Siegfried von Lohengramm." He always found it awkward to introduce himself in full when he was entirely accustomed to most recognising him at first glance, for better or for worse, but he always found it rude not to return the introduction with the same earnestness. "I've heard about you."</p><p>Which was most definitely not a lie, despite not being able to identify him initially. Alec was certain that most within the academy had come to know of the third Weissweide son in attendance at the institution, whether it be because of his family name or simply due to the reputation he carved out for himself. What set the young monarch apart from the rest (which included his best friend Felix) was that he cared little to put in the effort and place a face to the name.</p><p>"I hope that it's nothing but good things, whatever you've heard of me," Dominik chuckled with a small bow of his head before keeping his hands behind his back. "Or at least I hope that whatever you've heard of me, your majesty, hasn't given you a bad impression of me."</p><p>"Rest assured, I've heard nothing but good things about you." Yet another not lie, but in Alec's mind it was more fact than empathetic reassurance, and his no-nonsense voice alluded to that effect. "If I remember correctly, you're friends with... Viktor and Damian, right? And also... Nikolaus?"</p><p>"I am indeed." Dominik nodded. His lips curved up to form a supposedly genial smile, but all Alec could do was instinctively question the authenticity of it. "I heard that it was through Viktor that Felix and Anastasiya came into contact with one another, yes? Anastasiya's a friend of mine as well."</p><p>There was something off about Dominik that Alec couldn't entirely pinpoint and it gave him an awful sense of déjà vu, whether it be whatever the oddity was or discovering it within another person. The slight sense of something askew tugged at the very depths of his guts, an uncomfortable sensation to be sure, but what irked him more was his inability to rationalise and articulate it all into proper statements.</p><p>Alec decided that he didn't like Dominik, and would be wary of him from this point forward until proven otherwise. Call him judgemental, but Alec was typically on the right side of the spectrum with these things; his instincts in the field of perceiving people have never failed him before, and his track record suggested that it wouldn't fail him any time soon.</p><p>"That was what Felix told me too, yes." He honestly couldn't recall (because he never bothered to retain it in his memory until now) how Viktor came to be acquainted with Felix. Perhaps later on he'll bring the question up with Felix but for now, he was focused on ridding himself of the unsettling stir in his stomach and ending the conversation as soon as he could.</p><p>"I'm sorry, but I have some homework I'd like to finish as soon as possible. So if you'll excuse me." Although he was cordial enough to give a bow of his head, Alec left no room for negotiations in his voice and promptly walked past Dominik with every intention of not turning back.</p><p>"Okay! See you!" Alec heard Dominik's voice from behind him and all he did in return was give a wave of his free hand in halfhearted acknowledgement.</p><p>All Alec wanted was a few hours to himself surrounded in blissful silence, paired with the opportunity to hear himself think instead of settling for the accompaniment courtesy of everyone else around him. He was briefly kept from this wish by a guy he honestly could have done without knowing, and now the desire would grow as he soon enough came across a group of girls whose high-spirited conversation were ear-piercing shrills that rung persistently within his head.</p><p>He sped up his steps and shifted aside so as to not collide into the oncoming traffic of teenage girls, but despite his efforts one of the girls gained a sudden surge of energy—perhaps due to the excitement of their current exchange—and it catapulted her to the side and knocked her into Alec.</p><p>He winced and he heard a string of panicked shrieks and fervent apologies, which was no doubt the aftermath of realising who they had just transgressed against, but Alec merely acknowledged them with a shake of his head and instead focused on bending down to help pick up the books that had dropped so he could speedily go back to his own business (he might not have wanted to be there or stick around in the slightest, but he wasn't <em>rude</em>).</p><p>A notebook was one of the items that had fallen to the ground and it opened up to two pages scribbled with notes and doodled on with little drawings. One of those drawings was located at the bottom right corner of the page on the right, a cliched outline of a heart that was big enough to house two names. There was a long name that started with the letter 'A', and the other was a shorter name that Alec was unable to properly inspect though knew to be an unfamiliar one; he had only caught the quickest of glimpses at it, and he wasn't curious enough to know the contents of a stranger's notebook and sacrifice time he could have spent in heavenly solitude. Still, the blurred image of it would keep flashing before Alec's eyes for some unknown reason he could only chalk up to what could be a persistent sense of intuition, and later on he would attempt to crack the little mystery.</p><p>But for now he closed the notebook and stacked as much of the books as he could hold within the width of his hand, passing them back to the owner as he rose back up. It was only then that he managed to get a proper look of the young lady he had bumped into, and his eyes widen a bit.</p><p>"You're Anastasiya, yes? Felix's..." The last word 'girlfriend', as though Alec had no desire to utter it aloud, clung onto the walls of his throat and dissolved in his vocal chords. He knew he shied around the topic of Felix's romantic companions more so than the rest of their friends did, but he figured that when the time came he would be able to cast aside his awkwardness in favour of showing the appropriate amount of acknowledgement towards them.</p><p>For once, he was wrong.</p><p>"Y-Yes, your majesty." She stumbled on her words in the beginning but then after easily directed her focus back to the current situation and launched into another round of apologies. "I'm so terribly sorry, your majesty. We won't— we'll be more careful in the future."</p><p>Alec waved his hand dismissively and plastered on a courtly smile. He bared no ill will towards her like he did Dominik, but he didn't hold any positive sentiments towards her either. "It's quite alright, no one got hurt. Now, if you'll excuse me."</p><p>In the same fashion he exited the scene with Dominik, Alec gave a curt bow of his head and proceeded on down the corridor, hearing their voices gradually get more faint as the distance grew between them.</p>
<hr/><p>When the two returned back to their dorm room after dinner, Felix instantly launched into the topic that had been stuck on his mind since earlier on. He made his way over to his wardrobe and asked. "Alec-sama, do you know Lucia? She's a friend of Anastasiya's."</p><p>Alec had absolutely no clue who she was.</p><p>"No," he bluntly replied as he walked over to his own wardrobe. If Alec was talking to someone else then perhaps he would have feigned some thinking time out of courtesy, but he never had to put on such false acts or cast on a layer of formality with Felix. And so he responded in the same speed he always did with his best friend when he already knew the answer in his mind. "Why?"</p><p>"<em>Well</em>..." the brown-haired teenager trailed off in that same tone he always took on just as he was about to say something that he <em>knew</em> Alec would not find interesting. "Ana earlier messaged me asking to apologise to you again, because she bumped into you earlier? She also told me that her friend Lucia wanted to ask if she could get to know you better, she was there with Ana! The girl with the brown hair and I think... blue eyes?"</p><p>Alec most certainly did <em>not</em> remember. He could barely recall the number of girls that were with Anastasiya at the time, let alone each individual one of them.</p><p>He leisurely picked out what he wanted to wear to bed that night and shook his head out of habit, before remembering that they had their backs turned to one another and so Felix couldn't see him. "No, I don't remember her. Why would she want to get to know me?"</p><p>"Do you <em>really</em> have to ask that to know, Alec-sama?" Felix chuckled as he picked out his own clothes. "I think she has a crush on you. Well, a lot of girls do. But Ana said that she came to like you more because you were very kind to them."</p><p>Alec appreciated the praise but found it unnecessary. "Hmm." He replied noncommittally and moved to sit on his bed with his choice of garments in hand, a matching set of pale blue pajamas that Felix's mother Evangeline Mittermeyer had sewn for him during the winter break. Felix, on the other hand, settled for a plain white shirt paired with dark blue shorts. Alec once asked Felix why he'd never seen him wear pyjamas anymore after they turned seven, and Felix explained that he found both the fabric and the length of standard pyjamas to be too suffocating.</p><p>The topic on Alec's coincidental bump in with Anastasiya reminded him of the little doodle he unintentionally saw in her notebook that he thought to pull the curtains back on when he had the chance to. He didn't know if it was curiosity or the simple urge to direct the attention away from himself that spurred him into pushing forward with the plan and asking the question he was about to bring up, but he went with it anyway.</p><p>"Hey, Felix? Is there some celebrity or public figure of sorts that... Anastasiya likes?" That had to be the name Alec saw beneath Anastasiya's if he didn't recognise it to be Felix's, and Alec fully anticipated for Felix to confirm his assumption.</p><p>As had been the pattern of that day, Alec was wrong again.</p><p>Felix shook his head and glanced over at Alec quizzically, clearly not expecting the question thrown at him. "Not that I can recall...? Or at least she hasn't mentioned anyone's name enough to seem like a particular favourite of hers. Why are you asking this all of a sudden, Alec-sama? Did she mention something?"</p><p>"Ah, no no no." Alec tried to reel in his moderate perturbation and scoured his brain for a reason he could spin as a truth with relative success. "I think they were talking about that earlier, and she said that she didn't have one? So I was curious to know if she was telling the truth or not."</p><p>One might argue it was an eccentric quirk to have, people watching and thereafter theorising the make of their characters, however the young monarch resembled his father in his constant need for mental stimulation; if he couldn't obtain it from the activities he was engaged in, then he would milk it from the surroundings and the environment around him. It was for this reason that Felix found nothing at all suspicious about the reasoning that his best friend had given him, knowing him to be one who found it hard to switch off his mind even for the shortest of seconds or not find anything nearby worth speculating over.</p><p>Fully convinced, Felix smiled and headed over to the bathroom with his change of clothes in hand. "I see. Then I suppose she was telling the truth. I'll take a shower first if it's alright with you, Alec-sama?"</p><p>"Sure sure, go ahead," Alec replied back absentmindedly, his focus back onto solving the puzzle he had made up for himself.</p><p>He threw his head back onto his bed and rested his clothes onto his torso, considering the possibility that he had initially seen wrong and what he saw truly <em>was</em> Felix's name. He hadn't the opportunity to take a good look at the names scribbled down, after all, and it barely registered in his mind that the name on top was Anastasiya's until he came to know of the notebook's owner.</p><p>'<em>What purpose would knowing the story behind a little drawing on a girl's notebook serve,</em>' the blond-haired boy thought to himself rather self-deprecatingly; he knew he had a problem when he realised that he was making a mountain out of a molehill that was in the form of a mindless doodle. All for the simple reason that he needed something to keep his mind occupied.</p><p>He sighed softly and rolled onto his side as he waited for Felix to finish his shower. This was something that would possibly gnaw on his itch for knowledge—no matter the triviality—for the next day or two, but eventually he'd lose interest in it that was already fickle to begin with and forget about the entire encounter.</p><p>What <em>would</em> plague him instead, however, was the strange inkling (or whatever that was) he got from his first conversation with Dominik.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A lot more Alec in this chapter! (Though once again Dominik makes a significant appearance and I apologise once more.)</p><p>Perhaps I could have squeezed in another scene but I wanted to get this chapter out by today because updates will (hopefully not) be a lot slower from now on. Things are finally starting to pick up though and I'm so excited!! I'd love to hear people's thoughts or theories, so I'd appreciate if people would leave comments! (And also some kudos, while you're at it!)</p><p>I'm also posting this while the current number of hits is at 111 and it's a little satisfying (though of course if the number were to increase, I wouldn't be against it haha).</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter VII</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Felix is no longer a virgin, and both Alec and Felix think that the other smells nice.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Not long after Alec's first and at the time only proper encounter with Anastasiya, the auburn-haired girl and her boyfriend Felix lost their virginity to one another.</p><p>It was a risky affair, to be sure, when Felix sneaked into the female dormitories one night after the round of curfew checks, and the fact that it was a risk he took on a regular occurrence may have been cause for concern. The brown-haired youth would often spend some time alone with his girlfriend at night for a few hours before greeting her good night and stealthily making his way back to his own dorm—some nights he would sleep for less than ideal, but he felt the quality time he got to be with her was worth the sacrifice (along with the risk of punishment if he was caught red handed, of course). Oh, to be young and in love. Felix had more sense than most of the other boys his age, but the follies of youth at times gave him rebellious streaks, which in all honesty was more expected than not.</p><p>On those nights, Anastasiya's roommate Tatiana would slip away to another room for a sleepover and allow the couple some privacy to themselves. At first they drilled her with copious questions the next morning, however they eventually got less invested in the standard (and short) retellings of the young couple's intimacy together. That was the first night, however, that Anastasiya had an interesting anecdote to report to them about.</p><p>Felix was initially surprised by her invitation to go further. Sure, they had made out a number of times before and even once or twice, Felix had been granted the opportunity to slip a hand under her shirt and cup a feel of her breast. But this was much more than that, and it carried a significant amount of weight that surpassed mere kisses and ardent caresses.</p><p>As expected of a young teenager too hopped up on a surplus of hormones, their first bout of coitus left more to be desired for one of the parties involved. To put it simply, it was brief. Future encounters the young lady would share with first timers would make her come to realise how <em>significantly</em> attentive and selfless Felix was in comparison, despite the circumstances that were against him, but at the time both of them were completely in the dark with regards to the inner makings of intercourse and the experience (rightfully so) left Anastasiya feeling dissatisfied.</p><p>The same could not have been said for Felix, who of course found the entire affair almost cathartic and as a result of that, felt some level of guilt for being unable to provide the same experience for his partner. She assured him that there would be plenty more opportunities in the future, but there was a quality to her voice at the time that told him plain as day of her disappointment.</p><p>Felix then wondered, as he laid on his bed after he had returned to his own room, how the events would have differed if he had been with another boy. Could he have provided more... <em>liberation</em>, as someone who shared the same anatomy? Possibly. Would there have been less awkward fumbling? Honestly, he couldn't see why that would be the case. More questions and the perusal of possibilities kept his mind awake, but he forced them to shut off for the night and commanded his body to go to rest.</p><p>There was nothing lacking in any of his (two) relationships thus far; he was merely curious. The cerulean-eyed teenager never felt an aversion towards the same gender in that account like some of his other male peers did, and he wasn't lacking in opportunities to test his hypothesis either. He's met before the eyes of some whose glances lingered for far too long and with far too much weight to be a mere coincidence, and he's had to turn down a handful of confessions in the past from those who managed to work up more courage than the former group. At first, as a result of his lack of romantic interests within the same gender, he considered not having any attraction for other boys despite his initial speculation. But his body's innate reaction to the sight of a boy shirtless and bare one day in the male locker room proved to him that he was <em>far</em> from disinterested.</p><p>Yes. In other words, Felix  Mittermeyer was bisexual.</p><p>He'd catch a glimpse of a particularly handsome boy and his heart would go aflutter the same way it did with a girl he found attractive. Coincidently, he had gone through the motions a number of times in the past as well when he'd catch a breathtaking sight of Alec with his hair gleaming like priceless gold and his side profile a majesty to behold. However he was under the impression that anyone would react the same way when in the face of someone who teetered the line of divinity, and so he never caught on to the true nature of the affection he harboured for his best friend until much later on.</p><p>Truth be told, he didn't know why he hadn't told anyone yet at the time about his orientation, and he saw no reason why it would be cause for alarm. He's had friends by then who've already confessed to their crushes for other boys, and he was certain his parents were welcome to the prospect, with how they would go out of their way to inclusively refer to Felix's future significant other by 'he or she' to show their acceptance at any given opportunity. He theorised that it was due to the unfortunate little detail that he hadn't told Alec about anything yet, and something within him felt it was vehemently wrong to talk about the matter with others before bringing it up with his best friend.</p><p>That then begged the question as to <em>why</em> he hadn't told the friend who he's known for all his life yet. The first reason was rather simple; they had never really been one to talk about romance and relationships, and Felix hadn't any idea how he could suddenly bring it up into conversation without having it be entirely out of place. And the other reason, which may be the main culprit of it all, was his fear that it would change the dynamic of their relationship.</p><p>He knew Alec was by no means homophobic, that was not the issue in any way. The problem was that if Alec were to directly ask Felix if he'd ever felt any attraction for his blond-haired friend, Felix would be lying if he answered no.</p><p>Of course he's felt some level of attraction for Alec on a number of occasions, almost <em>everyone</em> who's had the honour of meeting him would often find themselves in that position. Even if most would assume that he'd long been desensitised to Alec's charms after being around the lion cub as habitually as he did, Felix was no different. The young monarch was a sight to behold, his hair a canopy of golden silk that adorned handsome features and his eyes a captivating hue of blue. His erudite mind was a tantalising treat that brought colour and life to any conversation, his ideas enrapturing and his theories fascinating. Those who couldn't keep up with him were at a great loss, there was no doubt about that, and yet his zeal and zest for the topic he was then displaying such expertise in would keep them fixated on his words and hooked on his voice.</p><p>If he were to tell the honest truth and confess to all this, would Alec still treat him the same? Would he not place some distance between them like Felix feared? Would Alec still see him as the boy he played in the palace gardens with, or the boy he hid with under forgotten staircases? There was too much at stake for Felix to simply come out with it; Alec was too important to him. And so he resolved to handle the matter some other time.</p><p>This was a predicament that normally Felix could suppress in the far recesses of his mind, however he was made to face it once again the next day after school during his promised marksmanship practice with Alec.</p><p>Alec was exceptionally skilled at marksmanship, and was praised for his possession of aptitude that was akin to that of the late Fleet Marshal Siegfried Kircheis. Felix's father Prime Imperial Marshal Mittermeyer once made an off record statement in jest that it was truly a peculiar parallel; Alec had taken after not his biological father's skill but his father's best friend's. With how close the late kaiser was to his number two subordinate, however, Marshal Mittermeyer supposed that it wouldn't have been a surprise if the two had melded into one entity. And nevertheless, if Marshal Kircheis were alive, it was without question that he would have taken on the role of Alec's second father figure. The same way Mittermeyer would have received the same role for Felix, if Fleet Marshal von Reuenthal were still alive with them.</p><p>Although Felix wasn't by any means lackluster with the blaster, it was not the skill he prided himself best in. And with obvious room for improvement when placed in comparison to his best friend, he believed there was no harm in accepting Alec's offer of giving him some pointers. And so there they were, at the academy's shooting range that was open for use outside of school hours as well for students willing to put in the extra time to hone their skills.</p><p>"You keep adjusting your grip, don't you?" Alec asked from a safe distance away from Felix with his arms crossed against his chest.</p><p>Felix looked over at Alec with his eyebrows furrowed. He was clearly unaware of the habit he had picked up at some point. "Do I?"</p><p>Alec nodded and closed the gap between them. "Is your hand too small? Too Big? Does it feel awkward?"</p><p>The brown-haired teenager was about to open his mouth and respond, but the words got stuck in his throat when Alec reached forward and carefully took hold of his hand. The young monarch pried the blaster out of his hold with utmost caution and the direct skin contact sent a shiver down every bit of Felix's body, from the top of his head all the way down to even the tips of his fingers. It took all of Felix's best effort to shroud with whatever he could muster from within him the reaction his body had at being so casually touched, and worst of all to ignore the waft of a fragrance that assaulted his nostrils with its dark smoke and woodsy notes when Alec came close.</p><p>The undisturbed blond teenager took a moment to examine the size of his best friend's hand and upon discovering the answer to his own question, he voiced out his observation. "Your hand is almost as big as mine so I think you should be fine...? Perhaps you should focus on maintaining a solid grip and work on fixing that habit. I think that should increase your efficiency and speed."</p><p>"Y-Yes, I'll do that." Felix (reluctantly) tugged his hand out of Alec's hold and retrieved the blaster back from him, shifting away slightly from the other male to leave the area of vulnerability that overlapped with the radius of Alec's scent.</p><p>He wondered how someone could smell so different despite using the same bath products. Felix had already questioned it before, when by chance he caught a subtle whiff of Alec post-shower on passing and was graced with an aroma that kindled a warm fireplace within him. He thought about it earlier that day too; they were dismissed from PE a few minutes before the allocated time and were given the opportunity to take a quick shower before the next class started. Felix logically knew it had something to do with the chemical makeup of one's body but didn't possess enough curiosity to delve any deeper for more detailed information.</p><p>He supposed it was something Alec might have done some research on in the past, though he was uncertain on how to bring up the subject—and if he wanted to at all—in a casual manner without alluding to the appeal of Alec's scent which brought about the interest in the topic in the first place.</p><p>What pulled Felix out of his own mind and back into reality was the shock Alec elicited from him with his next words.</p><p>"You know, Felix. You always smell nice."</p><p>The compliment was far too striking in similarity to the same sentiment Felix had for Alec, one that he had been trying to keep locked up in his mind (with slight difficulty, evidenced by how the thought would occasionally spill out in the form of visceral body reactions). A gush of blood began to pool underneath the surface of his cheeks and Felix tried his best to will it away, which seemed to work with some degree of success. It was either that or the possibility that Alec hadn't noticed, or worse still: he chose to ignore it and continued on without concern for the predicament Felix was currently facing.</p><p>"We use the same shampoo and soap." Alec began. "And I know you don't use any colognes or perfumes either. But somehow you always smell a little different from me. More like... a little sweeter, like sandalwood and vanilla. Isn't it interesting? Do you know why?"</p><p>Using the surge of enthusiasm that Alec's voice took on towards the end as an indicator, Felix knew there were potentially two different routes the conversation would lead to: either Alec was genuinely asking if Felix was aware of any sort of explanation and was curious about the reasoning behind the phenomenon, or he was testing to see whether he could launch into yet another scientific lecture that Felix's mind at present perhaps wouldn't be able to completely digest.</p><p>Even if Felix was fully qualified to build upon the subject at hand, he was currently not in the proper headspace to relay all that he knew to Alec. And so, despite himself and his current disarray, Felix shook his head and managed to respond. "No, sorry. Not in length, at least."</p><p>What followed was the manifestation of Felix's second prediction. In a heartbeat, Alec's eyes widened in evident ardour and he began to recite what seemed to be word for word passages from a scientific journal he had picked up before. All Felix could remember was the mention of "body chemistry" (which Felix knew before, but in little detail) and "skin pH"; he was too focused on the fact that Alec had again shortened the distance between them, and he was once more within the boundaries of Alec’s scent.</p><p>With his mind no more than a hazy cloud that was enveloped by the comforting fragrance of a crackling fireplace, Felix was too much in a daze to realise that Alec had already finished speaking. It was only when his blond friend waved a hand in front of his face that Felix was grounded back into the present moment.</p><p>“Felix? Are you okay?” Alec asked in slight concern with his eyebrows furrowed and his head tilted.</p><p>Felix demanded for his mind to formulate words and the brown-haired teenager forced them out as soon as he could. “Yes, I’m alright. I’m sorry.”</p><p>“No, don’t be.” Alec shook his head and reached out to pat Felix’s shoulder gently. “We can come again another day, if you’re not feeling well. I can always make time for you.”</p><p>Felix chuckled and reciprocated the gesture with an assuring squeeze of Alec’s arm. “You needn’t go that far, Alec-sama. If you’re too busy, I could probably ask someone else for help.”</p><p>“Someone else?” Alec asked in all seriousness. “Do you know anyone else who’s good at shooting?”</p><p>For most people, the young monarch’s confidence in his abilities may have seemed a touch too arrogant. But the blond kaiser had the necessary achievements to back up his assessment of his skills, and it was further supported by the praises he had received from others. Not to mention that, by that point, Felix was entirely aware of Alec’s nature; his best friend merely followed what his logic dictated to him, without the phantom of pride and conceitedness influencing his beliefs. If he deemed his efforts to have borne an adequate outcome, then such was his own assessment and what he would convey to others. And if he believed himself to be lacking, then he would say as much and endeavor to do better in the future, regardless of if others were of the opinion that he fared excellently.</p><p>It was for all these reasons that Felix was quick to brush off what may have appeared to others as a flash of haughtiness, because it was not something that registered in his mind with that same typical impression. Instead he took Alec’s words for what they literally were, of a query regarding others (preferably in their year) that possessed better mastery of shooting than Felix had.</p><p>The first name that came to Felix’s mind was one that Alec did not particularly want to hear.</p><p>“Oh, perhaps Dominik might be good at marksmanship.”</p><p>At the mention of the other blond, a slight chill came over Alec and whatever leftover excitement he retained from his earlier burst of passion was quickly extinguished. That was not known to Felix, however, who merely caught on to the subtle dip in Alec’s voice and the now indifferent expression that plastered itself onto his face. Which was Alec’s go to nevertheless whenever it concerned something or someone he had little to no interest in, so it was safe to say that Felix was entirely in the dark when it came to Alec’s true impression of his new friend.</p><p>“And your reason for reaching that conclusion is…?” Alec had to confess that all he knew about Dominik was his name; perhaps he truly <em>was</em> notably proficient in handling a blaster, Alec couldn’t completely rule out that possibility. But the young monarch had never really been one to put all his faith in possibilities and potentials, and he knew his best friend shared the same belief; he trusted Felix to have some explanation to back his theory.</p><p>And he did.</p><p>“Did you know? He’s in the archery club”—Alec did <em>not</em> know <em>or</em> care, but that was beside the point—“and I heard he’s going to represent the school for the upcoming regionals. So he shouldn’t be too bad, right?”</p><p>Alec shrugged and kept his hands away behind his back. Felix realized—from all the important functions and parties he was invited to attend as Kaiserin Hilda’s bargaining chip for Alec’s attendance—that this was a habit his best friend had the penchant for whenever the young monarch was attempting to build a wall between himself and the conversation at hand. Which was also nothing of notable concern, Alec greatly preferred to keep most people a distance away from him, so once again there was nothing particularly inconsistent with Alec’s typical behavior for Felix to spot a noteworthy dislike for Dominik.</p><p>Felix knew that he only had a few more minutes at best before Alec would tune out from their exchange and divert the subject to something else of significant interest to him.</p><p>“I suppose so.” Alec replied with some reluctance, his nonchalance growing with each passing second and his eyes looking up to the ceiling at nothing in particular. “And so, you believe that he has decent enough aim to fare well in shooting.”</p><p>“Perhaps?” Felix believed that this would be the last thing he could throw in before losing Alec entirely, and so he made his last question count. “Do you believe there could be a correlation between the two, Alec-sama?”</p><p>“Possibly.” Alec shrugged. “Of course, I doubt there’s a <em>direct</em> correlation between the two, but I suppose having good aim at least would help him fare better than the average person.”</p><p>Frankly speaking, that was as good a compliment as you’d be able to fish out of Alec, and so Felix considered himself fairly successful in his present endeavor; even if Alec would stop responding favorably after that, at least he got out of him a positive statement. That was enough to satisfy him and put the matter to rest.</p><p>“That’s what I think as well.” Felix responded in a concluding tone before securing his grip of the blaster in his hand and shifting his body into the proper stance for shooting. “I truly don’t want to waste your time today, Alec-sama, so perhaps I could practice for another hour or so before we head back to the dorm?”</p><p>“I told you, you don’t have to be so conscious about it.” Alec chuckled lightly with a smile as radiant as the sun, and his voice rang like bells within Felix’s stomach. “But sure. I request for your share of pudding later for dinner as compensation for my assistance.”</p><p>“Deal.” Felix grinned. If only all things could be resolved this easily between them.</p><hr/><p>The academy’s annual sports day was within a month’s time, and it was always the job of the student council to make the necessary arrangements (of course, with teachers’ supervision) and ensure that execution went smoothly on the day of. A meeting had been arranged one day after school to ensure everything was in order for the sports day, in which before they were all adjourned it was announced who would be in charge and assistant in charge of each of the cohorts in the student council.</p><p>Felix and Dominik were appointed the Overall In Charge (OIC) and Assistant In Charge (AIC) respectively for the third years, which under normal circumstances would have rightfully so caused some unrest among their cohort given the fact that the two had just joined the student council and there were some who had been members since their first year. However both Felix and Dominik were well liked by their peers, Dominik decidedly more so than Felix though that was not to say that Felix was any less than popular. Due to that, the only comments that were heard were teasing jibes poking at the two for the responsibility that had been dropped onto them and their lack of rights to protest against it.</p><p>Most of the logistics and other administrative matters had already been planned out by the fourth years beforehand, and so the meeting was more so a briefing for the rest of the student council than anything else. They also opened the floor for the rest of the members to voice out their opinions and reservations, and it was then that Dominik in particular proved that he deserved his role of AIC before it was even announced when he brought up a few suggestions that the student council’s executive committee for the most part could unanimously agree on.</p><p>The meeting was adjourned no more than two hours after its commencement, which left the students some time to themselves before dinner. Dominik chose this opportunity to request for some help with mathematics from Felix, having heard from the grapevine that Felix was an exemplary student who fared well across the board. They decided to head to the school’s cafeteria to grab a few snacks to munch on as Felix answered whatever it was that Dominik needed clarification on.</p><p>“So. How are you and Anastasiya?” Dominik probed with a smile on his face that Felix could only describe as amiable, however there was a tightness to it that only those in the know of all that was being plotted behind the scenes would have been able to pick up on.</p><p>Of course Felix was not one of those people (which was barely a handful to begin with), and so it was easy for him to respond back to Dominik under the impression that his blond friend was sincerely curious about the state of a friend's love life.</p><p>“I think we’re doing… okay?” Felix wished he could have provided more than that. After the first night they shared together, things seemed to have mellowed down for the young couple, however Felix hadn't spotted any negative change in their relationship either and so he saw no cause for worry. “Anything in particular you want to ask about?”</p><p>Dominik shrugged. “Not really, I was just curious. <em>However</em>...”</p><p>Felix glanced up at Dominik with furrowed eyebrows. “However?”</p><p>“I <em>do</em> want to ask something.” This time around, Felix was unable to read Dominik's expression. Whether it was because Dominik ensured nothing in his features would give away his discomfort, or it was because of Felix's own lack of skills in the art of reading people, was up for debate. “Have you two… you know?”</p><p>Given the topic matter (which Felix assumed was on whether or not Anastasiya and him had already taken their relationship to the next level), Felix genuinely believed that Dominik managed to bring it up into the conversation as respectfully as he could have. Nonetheless, Dominik's sensitivity was not enough to tranquilise the rush of blood that began to pool underneath the skin of Felix's cheeks. The display of his embarrassment alone might have been good enough an answer that alluded to the truth, however Felix would insist on disclosing nothing.</p><p>“Even if the answer is no, I feel like I can’t tell you.” Felix confessed honestly with a slightly sheepish smile. “I want to respect her privacy.”</p><p>If that was not the answer that Dominik had anticipated, then he did a bad job at showing his disappointment because on the contrary, his lips curled up into a delighted grin and his eyes reflected nothing but joy. Whatever discomfort he may have felt earlier was now completely dashed away.</p><p>“Wow, what a gentleman.” Dominik began, his smile never faltering for a second. “Actually, she already told me. I just wanted to see if you’d say yes.”</p><p>There it was again, that odd sense of familiarity that almost teetered the territory of déjà vu. Felix had encountered this before—no, not with Dominik, someone else he knew well enough to remotely feel as though an event had repeated itself. The event of testing out a theory that involved a human’s disposition.</p><p>However, Dominik had begun to speak again before Felix could harp on the thought for long enough to come to any other conclusion.</p><p>“I’m happy to hear things are going well for you two.” There was no way for Felix to have known at the time that Dominik had only said that out of courtesy to maintain his act of a good-natured and personable friend. Perhaps if he had scrutinised the seemingly forced cheer in Dominik's voice or the lack of emotion reflected in his eyes, then Felix would have caught on. But instead, the brunet's focus was on the taller male’s words, and he pondered about the validity of it.</p><p>“I’m not so sure about that...” Felix eventually decided on, his gaze averted to the ground and another sheepish smile in place.</p><p>“Why? What’s up?” The tone that Dominik had let slip was one that Felix was unable to pick up on, unfortunately for him and fortunately for Dominik. It was a tone that told of his interest in further elaboration on Felix's part that, yes, could have easily been interpreted as an innocuous curiosity for some gossip. But it also ran the risk of Felix spotting Dominik's subtle delight in the chance of a rocky road ahead for the young couple, which was honestly Dominik's best show of sincerity all afternoon.</p><p>Once again, as expected, Felix was oblivious to all this and could only see the awkwardness of the current situation. “No, no. You’re closer to Anastasiya than with me,” he started with a shake of his head. “You wouldn’t want to hear me talk about her like that.”</p><p>“Nonsense!” Dominik was quick to rebut and gave Felix a serious look. “You’re as much my friend as Anastasiya is. If there’s anything I can do to help you, just let me know.”</p><p>Upon looking back at this exact moment in the future, Felix would much to his dismay come to realise that Dominik was a master of words. Under the full impression that Dominik regarded Anastasiya as a friend, Felix then assumed that Dominik saw him as such as well and thought nothing more of it. Through expert manipulation, Dominik was able to be nothing but truthful, yet at the same time he clouded the true nature of the sentiments he harboured for both the auburn-haired girl and the brown-haired boy.</p><p>“Thank you.” Felix murmured with a soft smile. Wanting to show the same courtesy that was given to him, Felix then took the opportunity to throw Dominik's initial question back at him. “Then, what about you? How are you and your girlfriend doing?”</p><p>Soon after Dominik and Felix had gotten formally acquainted with one another, Felix had heard talk of Dominik’s new relationship with a girl from another class. Since they were barely friends then, Felix took no offence in the fact that he was not in the loop with regards to the Dominik’s love life, and assumed he had little right to probe much, if any at all. But since then they had gotten significantly closer, and Felix was recently made to believe that Dominik regarded him as a friend; he saw no harm in asking about it now, especially if it was for the sake of keeping the conversation going.</p><p>Perhaps it was worth noting that Dominik had yet to even subtly bring up his girlfriend at any point with Felix. While that could have been entirely coincidental, his immediate stiffness at the mention of his girlfriend might be sound cause for belief that it was surely a detail that he intentionally missed out. Or at least, Felix would have considered that theory if he had caught the brief halt in Dominik’s breathing and the slight purse of his lips.</p><p>Lady luck was once again on Dominik's side and the young blond was able to school in his expression before Felix could catch on. “Alright, I suppose.” He shrugged and tucked his free hand, the one not holding his bag slung over his shoulder, into the pocket of his dress pants. “We're not that interesting. I'm highly certain you and Anastasiya are <em>far</em> more interesting, from what I've been told.”</p><p>“If that is the case, then I'm sure you've heard <em>plenty</em> enough and I need not brag about my... <em>wonderful</em> love life any further.” Felix countered in a dramatic voice.</p><p>“Oh, indeed it is rather wonderful.” Dominik was quick to play along. “Fret not. Anastasiya sings your praises and we all can't help but fall in love with your ourselves.”</p><p>The shorter of the two chuckled and gave the other a light shove on the shoulder. “Okay, stop that. Stop teasing me.”</p><p>“I do no such thing!” Dominik threw Felix an incredulous look and theatrically placed his free hand over his chest. The topic had so easily been diverted away from Dominik's girlfriend, just as the blond had wished for, and Felix had yet to realise.</p><p>He wouldn’t let Felix notice that, though, and so he kept speaking. “Actually… yea, you caught me red-handed.” He grinned. “But I meant it though. She has said nothing but positive statements about you.”</p><p>“I get it, I get it.” Felix waved him off and threw him a small pout, contradicting what he was about to say. “Thank you.”</p><p>Dominik bowed his head. “You’re most welcome, OIC Mittermeyer.”</p><p>“What did I <em>just</em> say about teasing me, AIC von Weissweide?”</p><p>“Okay, okay, you win.” Dominik was quick to concede defeat, especially now that he was certain they were far away from the topic he wanted to avoid most. “I need you to go easy on me when you teach me maths later.”</p><p>“You should have thought of that earlier, idiot.”</p><p>“Thoughtful planning may not be my strongest suit, it seems.”</p><p>Oh, how misleading of a statement that was.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Because it's upsetting how it took me over 2 months to update this, I didn't really read through this again as many times as I should have so I apologise for any mistakes (be that spelling errors or even a duplicate paragraph which has happened in a previous chapter, I've since rectified that so apologies to those who saw that orz).</p><p>Apologies as well because Dominik has made himself a prominent character and there's really not much I can do on the matter orz He will always be nothing more than a catalyst or a force to help push Alec and Felix to where they need to be, but I know there are people who dislike original characters in fanfiction (myself included, I must confess) so this apology goes out to them. I'm rather limited on canon characters I can play around with since this takes place in the future after canon u_u</p>
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